Nothing Personal
by TragicBlackButterfly
Summary: ...it's just good pranking! She was a Slytherin. He was a Gryffindor. The boundaries that separated them cleaved even their ties of friendship. Now, all that is about to change. OC/George Rating may change during later chapters.
1. House Boundaries

**All right, this is my first Harry Potter Fanfic, so please be gentle. Some constructive criticism is always welcome, but I don't want to hear it if you just plan on being a bully about it. I'll try not to be too OOC about it. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**

**A/N: I don't own any characters, places, or ideas from the Harry Potter series. Crim is a character of my own creation (based off of my pottermore account). Many thanks to sango-savino for her character design for Holly Ice. **

**Chapter One—House Boundaries**

Growing up, I always dreamed of going to Hogwarts, being sorted into Gryffindor, and pranking with my best friends. My father worked at the Ministry of Magic with Arthur Weasley (though you might call my father's job as Wizengamot a little bit more respectable than Mr. Weasley's), so I spent many days at the Burrow. Freddie and Georgie were my age, and we were immediate best friends. They taught me how to properly prank without getting caught; I taught them how to mix ingredients to have just the perfect amount of combustion. Back then, we never imagined we would ever be separated. The three if us would laugh and prank and plan all of the mischief we would cause once we joined Bill and Charlie Weasley at Hogwarts.

We would rule the school, be unstoppable! What a joke that had been. That first night would change our entire experience at Hogwarts…for the better and for the worst.

"Remember, Crim, it doesn't matter what House you're sorted into." My father knelt in front of me, hands on my shoulders, smile forced and nervous. He said it didn't matter, but I knew he really wanted me to be sorted into Gryffindor. Honestly, I wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor, just like the rest of my family.

"Can I go now, Daddy?" I glanced over my shoulder, my eyes searching for the familiar, ginger-haired Weasley family. Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with students already in their robes and trolleys stacked to the tops with luggage, but I could just spot them in the crowds. Fred and George were trying to squirm away from their mother, who was planting them each with wet kisses upon their temples. One of them, I assumed George, glanced around for me, and I grinned at him.

"Let her go, John," said my mother with a smile, her own blue eyes brimming with tears. "Now, Crim, make sure you write at least once a week—"

"We expect a letter tonight," interrupted my father with a stern smile that didn't reach his brown eyes, "to let us know you made it into Gryffindor!"

I kissed them each farewell before dashing off along the platform. People were beginning to board the train, and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose the twins in the mess of people. When I arrived, Mrs. Weasley gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek before George possessively pulled me away from her. He and Fred stuck me between them, and I couldn't be happier.

I knew picking a favorite was really rude of me, but I always liked Georgie best. His humor wasn't as cruel and dangerous as Freddie's could be, and he was always so sweet and kind. Freddie was the reckless one who always got us into trouble. Not that I minded, though. There was never a dull moment with the two of them, and I always felt rather invincible when I was with them.

We said our goodbye's to the family (twice to Ginny, who wouldn't stop crying) before we climbed onto the sleek train that would take us to our home away from home. My stomach was filled with Cornish pixies, and I couldn't decide whether I was excited or ill just yet. I followed Fred to an empty compartment, and George closed the door behind us. The cozy interior settled my nerves some as I settled down beside George, whose grin made me forget all about the pixies in my stomach. That was another thing about the twins: they always relieved my stress, even with just a glance.

"This is going to be bloody fantastic!" Fred said with a grin. "I heard Charlie talking about the caretaker, some old bloke named Filch. I say we prank him first night! Show him who runs the school now!"

"Sounds brilliant! What do you think, Georgie?" I glanced over at him, unsurprised to find him pulling out a deck of cards. Always, when Fred got ahead of himself with pranks and jokes, Georgie found some way to distract him.

"I say we worry about pranking when we get to Hogwarts. How about some Exploding Snap to lighten things up?" he said with a grin. "A galleon to the winner!"

"Where the bloody hell are you going to get a galleon?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow as his twin dealt the cards.

"Simple—from this girl!" George ruffled my messy curls, and I laughed, poking him in the ribs with my wand. I loved my wand—sycamore with phoenix core, 12 ½ inches. Already, I had no idea how I lived without it. The slim wand fit perfectly into my hand, almost as though it had been carved to go there. I dreaded the following summer when I wouldn't be permitted to use my wand outside of Hogwarts; in my eyes, that was a foul rule. How could we practice our spells if we weren't allowed to use magic?

We barely began the game when a scrawny girl tumbled into our compartment. She shoved up her glasses, her brown hair flopping against the rims as she brightly smiled at us. She plopped down beside Fred and stuck her tongue out at George. Puzzled, I glanced between them and wondered if the twins knew this clumsy girl. From their incredulous and curious expressions, I knew immediately that she was a stranger to them as well.

"Well?" she said sheepishly, shrugging, and I noted a small fear in her eyes. "Aren't you going to deal me in?"

"How 'bout telling us who you are first, then we might think about it." Fred frowned a little, looking her over. She was already wearing her Hogwart's uniform, and her hair was tied on the side of her head with a bow. Seeing our attention on her, she nervously fiddled with a silver key dangling around her neck by a ribbon.

"I'm Holly Ice. I'm a first year. Some people pushed me in here, so do you mind if I play with you?" She blinked her big, deep brown eyes at us, and my heart broke. She reminded me of a dog with those large eyes, a puppy eager for attention. Letting her join in didn't seem like such a bad idea after all.

"Of course!" I caught the twin's gazes, but they didn't argue. In fact, once Holly had my stamp of approval, the two of them didn't appear to mind her addition to our trio at all. "That's Fred, and this is George. They're both Weasleys. I'm Crim Rehfate."

She blinked her wide eyes in amazement. "Wow, you can tell them apart? Crim? Is that a nickname?"

"No, it's short for Crimson," I said. "I'm named after my eyes." Honestly, I was the only member of my family to be born with burgundy eyes. I didn't mind my name, no matter how strange it was. I always received nice compliments on my eyes about how pretty and unusual they were. George was the one to give me my nickname, and it stuck from that day on.

Holly pointed to each of us, reciting our names with a nod of her head. "Crim…Fred…and George. I think I got it! Now, which one of you is which again?"

We spent the remainder of the train ride to the school playing Exploding Snap (which Holly seemed to have a terrible amount of luck at) and discussing which Houses we were going to be sorted into. Holly didn't appear to mind which House the hat placed her in, and I learned from the conversation that her blood was as pure as ours. The pixies were back in my stomach again by the time the train screeched to a stop, and I couldn't see out the window. Shaking like a leaf, I followed Freddie and Holly out of the train; George came up behind me and gave my hand a squeeze. I swallowed and hung onto him as we followed the rest of the first years over to Hagrid. His great size surprised me, no matter we had heard about him from Bill and Charlie, and I stared up at the giant man with a mixture of wonder and horror. George rubbed his thumb along the back of my hand.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" He beckoned us away from the rest of the students and toward a set of boats. I luckily secured a boat with the twins and Holly, and soon we were on our way to the school, our boat following the one that Hagrid had to take up by himself. The moment Hogwarts came into view, all my nerves vanished. Freddie, Georgie, and I had spent days, long and tiresome afternoons whispering about what Hogwarts might look like when we arrived, whether it would be dreary or filled with awe. It looked marvelous, even better than we could have dreamed. I couldn't wait to get inside, and the boats only seemed to slow down the more excited I became. Even Fred and George were grinning with excitement and muttering about all the possibilities.

The castle was even bigger on the inside than on the outside. I barely had time to look around at the moving paintings or marvel at the fine decorations when we met a tall woman in emerald robes. She gave us all a stern look that had us silencing in mere moments. "I am Professor McGonagal," she said to us, and the natural tone of her voice told me that this was a woman to be reckoned with. "In a few moments, you will all be sorted into one of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your House will serve as your family while you are here, and you will earn points through your achievements. Any rule breaking will result in loss of points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. Now, if you would all please follow me..." Clearing her throat, she beckoned us forward through large doors that opened up into the Great Hall.

"Look at the ceiling!" Holly gasped from beside me, tugging on my robes in excitement, while I stared around at the four tables and the older students watching us approach the long table at the end. I looked up at the magical ceiling, amazed at how real it appeared; if I hadn't known better, I would have sworn that there really was no ceiling, and we saw instead the sky. Smiling wildly, I turned my gaze on the row of Professors, the man in the center of the table automatically commanding my attention. Professor Dumbledore watched us, smiling beneath his half moon spectacles, as Professor McGonagall stood us in front of a tattered-looking, old hat sitting on a wooden stool.

The Sorting Hat. I bit my lip anxiously. I knew all about the Sorting Hat. That wrinkled piece of cloth would put us in the House we belonged in. I fidgeted as I tried to listen to Professor McGonagall talk and the Hat sing a song of welcome, and I clapped along with everyone else even though I didn't hear anything that had been said. My heart pounded too loud for me to hear anything. I couldn't imagine what would happen to me if I ended up being sorted into Slytherin House. The thought terrified me, and I suddenly wondered if the pixies in my stomach were, in fact, dragons or werewolves instead. The ferocity with which my stomach ached increased with each passing second.

Holly's name was called. She puffed out her chest, sweat trickling along her temple, and attempted a causal walk over to the hat. Halfway there, she tripped and balanced on one foot to stay standing. A row of snickers sounded around the Hall, and she scurried the rest of the way. The hat flopped over her eyes, thought for a moment, and decided. I xrossed my fingers, waiting, hoping...

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

With a sigh of relief and a happy smile, she skipped over to the welcoming Hufflepuff table. The Hall quieted down, and Professor McGonagall continued with the list. I watched as student after student was sent to one of the four tables, listened to the swoon of applause as the Houses welcomed a new member to their midst. Sooner than I would have hoped, I heard her call my name.

"Rehfate, Crimson!"

George gave my hand another squeeze, and Fred winked encouragingly. With a weak smile, I let go and walked shakily over to the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on top of my head, and the inner flap blocked out the rest of the Great Hall. I swallowed, listening, waiting. Seconds passed, then moments, then what certainly had to be minutes. Was there something wrong with me? Could the Hat not decide? I wanted to scoff at it that the word _Gryffindor_ was not all that difficult to call; others had been sent into Gryffindor. Why was it deliberating with me?

Then, finally—

"SLYTHERIN!"

No…that couldn't be right. That couldn't be right! Professor McGonagal removed the Sorting Hat from my head, and I numbly walked over to the Slytherin table, where a few of them greeted me with smirk and handshakes. I glanced behind me, trying to catch Fred or George's eye, but neither of them was looking. The two of them burned holes in the floor, an expression of disbelief on their faces. They were just as shocked as I was. Certainly, surely, I couldn't be a…a _Slytherin_. It couldn't be true. It just…couldn't…

How would I tell my parents this? I could only imagine my father's expression when he read the news. Would my mother cry? I felt like crying, especially when I saw Fred and George both be sorted into Gryffindor. They walked off to a table that felt so far away, a table that I could never belong to. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I wanted to go over there with them!

"Glad they weren't sent over here," muttered a Slytherin girl to my right. "Blood traitors, those Weasleys. Better stay away from them, Crim."

Fred and George…blood traitors? It took a couple years for me to truly understand what that was. Even then, I wasn't sure it was true for them. By that time, it didn't matter. After that first night at Hogwarts, I didn't try to talk to them, even in the classes we had together. I listened to sneers and jokes made at them, pretended to laugh and scoff. The twins ignored me, save for the few pranks they had up their sleeve for me as payback for ditching them.

Slytherin and Gryffindor were enemies. Sworn enemies, and the boundaries set by the Houses ran deeper than blood. I dared not challenge the thick line that was drawn for fear of the consequences. As well, if both Houses believed that they were, indeed, enemies, then it had to be true...right? It wasn't until my sixth year that anyone bothered to test those boundaries. By then, it was almost too late. Still…it only took one toe out of line. That was it.

**Okay…that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed, and I would appreciate some feedback, if you have the time. As well, to avoid questions later, my pottermore name is CrimsonFeather17317. Thank you for reading, and I promise another update soon…and the next chapter will be MUCH more exciting. **


	2. The Triwizard Tournament

**Time for chapter two! I might as well update another chapter while I feel like writing. Note that I'm skipping ahead to their sixth year, so don't get confused and yell at me for confusing you. As long as you read the bold print, you'll get it.**

**A/N: Again, All of J.K. Rowling's characters belong to her and not to me; I only own Crim and have permission from sango-savino to use Holly. Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter Two—The Triwizard Tournament**

Five years passed in a flash. Before I knew it, I only had two years left at Hogwarts. Not much really changed, if you asked me. I saved up all my galleons to get a Firebolt in order to make the Quidditch team my third year, and I'd been playing Keeper ever since. I learned that Potions was my favorite part of the week and that Professor Snape was just cruelly misunderstood. I loathed Divination with a passion and dropped it after the first class; honestly, that was a class for bloody idiots. I would rather listen to Professor Binns drawl for hours than have Trelawney stuff tea leaves under my nose.

Holly Ice somehow became my best friend. Even though she was a Hufflepuff, Holly was also a pureblood, and I didn't get any grief for hanging out with her. Slytherins didn't look at Hufflepuffs as being a big threat to them, and Holly was anything but a threat. Her skills at potions were slim at best, but her skills in Charms never ceased to amaze me. I worried about her in Transfiguration as well; every time Professor McGonagall asked her to change a rat into a goblet, Holly would turn as white as a sheet and laughed like a chipmunk for a good five minutes. Holly was not considered a _blood traitor_ the way that Fred and George were, and I was glad of that. I didn't know who or what I might have became if not for her.

My parents never did take it well that I was put in Slytherin. After the first week or so, I didn't have a problem with it, myself. Father liked to pretend he was having a nightmare that he would wake up from soon, and Mother just acted as though Slytherin was as perfect as Gryffindor, which I knew better. They both worried that the Slytherin House was teaching me how to become a Death Eater or something, and I thought that was complete rubbish. Didn;t they have any faith or trust in me to know right from wrong? Besides, not all the students in the Slytherin House had a fancy for the Dark Arts. Certainly, however, there _were_ those few, questionable students. I wondered every day if Draco Malfoy and his group of idiots were leaning toward the Dark Side, as well as the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, Marcus Flint. I didn't like any of them, but I never let the four of them know that. I kept to my silly Hufflepuff friend and my books.

I honestly only had one regret. Well…I suppose that would be two regrets, and both of them had red hair and a questionable set of morals. Fred and George had long decided that pranking the enemy was astonishingly as amusing as pranking the caretaker, and I just happened to be the object of their pranking. I couldn't count how many times I found strangely colored toffees in my bag or discover that my bottle of ink had been replaced with ink that sprayed me every time I tried to use it. I got used to their pranks and learned how to avoid them. Eventually, they would get bored and move on. I missed the days when I would _help_ them with those pranks, not be tormented by them. I didn;t just miss their pranking, either; I longed for their company. I could still remember the days we would spend outside the Burrow, playing our own version of Quidditch or discussing the next plot to get under Percy's skin, which was not a difficult task to accomplish. I missed the way Freddie would always stick up for me, stepping in when I needed help, and the way Georgie would stand beside me, his fingers searching for mine.

Still, the Weasleys were blood traitor, the lot of them. Bad news. If I tried to be friends with them, my House would shun me, and I knew what happened to Slytherins who were shunned by the House. That wasn't something I wanted to subject myself to. That is, if I wanted to live out the rest of my Hogwarts days in peace.

Thankfully, something much more interesting than me caught their attention on our first night back at Hogwarts. Rather, it had the entire school's attention: The Triwizard Tournament. More than two hundred years had passed since the tournament was last held, so naturally the school buzzed with more excitement than a Cheering Charm could cause. We learned that students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be staying with us at Hogwarts, the host school, to compete for the Triwizard Cup, and the tension was already mounting with each second that we sat in the Great Hall together.

From our first night until Halloween, students over the age of seventeen were allowed to enter their name into the Goblet of Fire. That was the only condition that Dumbledore had set. Students had to be seventeen or older in order to compete, and that upset more than a number of people. Dumbledore himself drew an Age Line around the Goblet, and it swam menacingly through the air, beckoning younger students to try and enter. Some did try, too, and they each tottered off to the Hospital Wing with a fully grown beard that might rival Dumbledore's.

As the days waned closer to the end of October, more and more of us took to sitting in the Great Hall to see who would enter for a chance to be Champion. All of the Durmstrang students, each of them over the required age, entered their names, including Viktor Krum, a surly and quiet student that we all knew as Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch Team. A group of girls stalked him about the school as he walked to and fro, following him even during his workouts. I failed to see the appeal of him; sure, he was handsome and well built, but his brain was not something to brag about. Many of the Beauxbatons girls entered as well, save for one or two younger students who had also been allowed to visit. They were a sight, those girls from Beauxbatons. Some of them I expected were part veela; how else would they have such beauty and enchanting powers?

"Who do you think will be chosen to represent Hogwarts?" Holly excitedly chewed on her lower lip as we sat in the Great Hall. She hadn't changed much since we started at Hogwarts: hair still pinned to the side, now with a Hufflepuff bow; bangs tapering and messy; glasses dangling; and the silver key around her neck centered with a peridot, which I learned was the key to her diary. I didn't know what she wrote in there; the first time I asked, she rewarded me with a quill to the face. Just now, she was leaning forward in her seat, staring at the Goblet as though expecting it to abruptly move.

"I don't know, why don't you go ask it?" I flipped the page of my Potions book and began to study the Draught of Living Death. Professor Snape hinted to me that studying the brewing instructions might be beneficial for the next class, and I always took his hints rather seriously. I was Professor Snape's favorite, which he was never shy about portraying to the rest of the class. He gave me that rare smile of his that wasn't filled to the brim with scorn, and he dropped hints from time to time of what I should study for class or finall, although I often times had already examined the material he mentioned to me. My potions were always correct; then again, sitting next to Holly, even the Weasley twins would have decently brewed potions.

She tore her eyes away from the Goblet for a moment. "Why aren't you excited about the Triwizard Tournament, Crim? If I didn't know better, I would say that you want the entire thing to go away," Holly said indignantly, tossing me a rather accusing look.

"I don't have anything against it, honestly," I murmured thoughtfully, focusing on a line of directon. _Crush the snake fangs and Valerian roots and add them to your potion_. "I just wish Quidditch hadn't been cancelled this year."

"Quidditch…yeah…" Holly deflated a little, thinking. She was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff team herself, and her excitement for the tournament had drowned out the depression brought on by the lack of Quidditch, which she just now began to mourn. I myself hated that the release flying on my Firebolt gave me during a math would be absent for a year. I returned to reading my book, leaving Holly to her thoughts. Holly's depression didn't last long, though, for Cedric Diggory, another Hufflepuff and fellow Quidditch player, entered the room then, and every eye turned on him. Even I looked up, a feeling of excitement welling in my breast.

"Crim! Crim! Look! He's going to enter!" Holly was in love with Ced, which she told me every day, and I couldn't blame her. He was in our year, and he was as handsome as could be. His fine, chiseled countenance and strong body attracted even some Slytherins to him. I, on the other hand, couldn't find an attractive thing about him. I knew Ced growing up, since our father's worked together, and I somehow couldn't find it in me to look at him as more than a friend. Still, I grinned widely at him as he pulled out a piece of paper which was undoubtedly adorned with his name.

"Good luck, Ced!" I shouted into the cheers when he dropped his name into the Goblet.

He turned to us at hearing my exclaimation and ventured through the throng of people to our spot beside the Cup. "Thanks, Crim," he said with one of his dazzling smiles.

Beside me, Holly nearly fainted, her cheeks violently changing from a brilliant shade of red to a sickly white. She recovered, though, in time to add, "I'm sure you'll get chosen, Cedric!"

He paused, glancing at her, and thought for a moment. Then, with a smile, he said, "Holly…right?" I thought she might die on the spot.

I ignored the rest of their conversation, returning my eyes to the Potions book. Although the instructions looked easy, I could tell where I might run into trouble. The directions said to _cut_ the sopophorous bean, but wouldn't _crushing_ work better to get through the hard shell of the bean...? I would have to ask Professor Snape about that. I was just about to turn the page when a roar of laughter erupted into the room. Fred and George ran in, carrying what I assumed to be an aging potion. I almost laughed myself; I had never known them to be dense. Certainly they didn't think an _aging potion_ would work? That, in itself, was a bloody fool's idea. A Gryffindor that I knew to be Hermione Granger told them that, as well, but they only laughed at her and scoffed at her warning. Eagerly, I closed my book to watch this unfold, and I wondered if they even brewed the potion correctly. After all, their marks in Potions were not what one might call acceptable.

The twins drank the potion while everyone in the room cheered them on. Holly whistled enthusiastically, grinning, and I tried to control my amusement. They stepped over the line, paper in their hands, and nothing happened. They cheered themselves on along with the rest of the room and did a victory lap around the Goblet. I watched, waiting. Surely something had to happen; something had to stop them from entering. I felt an odd surge of panic that chilled me to the bone.

No! It can't have worked! What if one of them gets picked to represent Hogwarts? People _die_ in this tournament! That's why it took so long for the Ministry to approve it again. What if he dies? What if—

They tossed their names in the Goblet together, grinning wildly. A moment passed filled with applause where nothing changed within the Cup. Then, a feral fire exploded from the top, illuminating the entire room. Relief bubbled in my stomach when the Goblet spit their names back out, slamming them straight in the chest. When they sat up, they both had grey hair and fully grown beards, which they felt and tugged at to no avail. I laughed along with the rest of the room as they began to fight, shoving each other and laughing as they tried to get a good grip on each other.

During the commotion, I glanced at the Goblet, curious. What tasks would the Champions have to face? _Would_ they get hurt? Would they _die_? I wondered what the odds were of getting chosen. Did the Goblet put your name through a test or something? Was it random? Did only the worthy get chosen to represent their school? I wanted to know.

My birthday had only been a few days ago, on October twenty-fourth. Where was the harm in putting my name in? Certainly I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to be chosen by the Goblet. I might as well have a go at it. Pursing my lips, I wrote my name down on a piece of paper and stuffed it into my pocket, unaware of the brown eyes that were watching me.

I wouldn't do it now. No, not now. Not while everyone is watching. Not while _they're_ watching. I would wait until tonight, after dinner and after class, when everyone was in their common rooms. I approached the Goblet, the sole person in the room now. Behind me, I left the door ajar so that I could slink out just as easily as I had entered. I pulled out the piece of parchment, glancing at my name. What would I do I was was chosen? If Professor Dumbledore called my name at the Halloween Feast tomorrow, how would I respong? Would I be happy? Or afraid? I knew the Slytherins would be proud and pleased that one of their own was the Champion chosen to represent Hogwarts. Holly would be afraid for me; I could already imagine her terrified expression as the Hall erupted into cheers...

"You're not really putting your name in there…are you?"

I gasped, turning around to face the twin as he walked up behind me. How long had he been there? I cursed myself for not shutting the door behind me; I had been too worried about getting caught that I left myself vulnerable, and now George Weasley was staring down at me with curiosity and some other emotion that I didn't quite recognize. Crossing my arms, I raised my chin and an eyebrow.

"I don't see that as any of your business, Weasley. Where's your beard? And your other half?" I glanced behind him for Fred but didn't spot the other part of the duo. I never knew one to be without the other; was Fred off courting a girl? Or could George not sleep?

George stared at me, frowning, and continued as though I hadn't spoken. I had the odd urge to slap him, which I restrained for my own sake. I may have been good in potions, but the twins were particularly skilled in hexes. "You aren't cut out for the Triwizard Tournament, Rehfate. Don't put your name in there."

"If I'm not cut out for it, what does it matter whether I put my name in or not? The Goblet won't choose me." My voice faltered a little, and I couldn't believe my ears. Why did George even care? We hadn't spoken a friendly conversation since before the sorting ceremony our first year. I didn't _want_ him to care; he had no right..!

"Don't put your name in the Goblet!" George repeated tightly, his lips forming a thin line. "You don't know, Crim, that it won't pick you. If it does, you could wind up seriously injured. The Triwizard Tournament isn't some other class that you want to challenge. It's dangerous!" Who was he to lecture me about danger?

"Don't be a git, Weasley." I stepped over the age line and raised the piece of paper toward the magnificent Goblet. The blue flames twinkled seductively, urging my hand on. Before I could drop it in, George snatched the parchment away from me and ripped it to pieces. I gaped at him, something new bubbling in my stomach: anger. It hadn't known that I could be so angry with George, let alone anyone, for that matter. I felt my fingers instinctively twitch for my wand, and I fought against the impulse.

"That was completely uncalled for!"

"Bloody hell, Crim, I don't remember you being this stupid!" George spat back at me, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, and the same goes for you! Did you and your brother honestly believe that something as pathetic as an Aging Potion would fool Dumbledore's Age Line? Honestly, I doubt you even brewed the potion correctly." Rage flickered in his eyes, and I knew I had hit the mark I was aiming for. I crossed my arms, glaring, and continued, "I don't see where it's any of your business whether I get myself killed or not!"

"Nothing personal," said George tightly before he turned on his heel and headed for the door.

After a moment of staring at his back, I gripped my wand within my pocket, the sycamore and phoenix core aching for use, and imagined what it would be like to curse him right then. I decided against it and chose a more logical approach. "I could always just write it on a different sheet of paper, Weasley!"

George glanced back at me momentarily, his lips curling. "Yeah, but you won't. Night, Crim." With a smirk, he vanished through the door, leaving me annoyed beyond belief and completely confused. What the bloody hell was that all about? George and Fred were my enemies, right? I didn't understand why George didn't jump at the chance to get rid of me. As a matter of fact, I didn't recall _them_ asking for my permission to brew an Aging Potion and try to fool the Goblet into entering them.

Pursing my lips, I grabbed my bag and sulked toward the dungeons. Tomorrow was another day. Tomorrow, I would enter my name in that Goblet with George Weasley watching. I couldn't wait to see his face; the thought made me grin, my firngers curling around my shoulder bag's strap. That would put those Weasley twins in their place. For all I knew, they were trying to stop any Slytherin from entering the Tournament. I had to be cautious; the twins couldn't be trusted!

So…what were the pixies doing back in my stomach?

**That's all for tonight! I'd better get some sleep. I'll work on another update soon, hopefully within the week. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. The Hogwarts Champion

**I think another update is in order! Thank you to those who have read and reviewed. It means so much to me! Hope you enjoy. ^^**

**A/N: Rememberrrr….none of J.K.'s characters belong to me. I'm just playing with them. **

**Chapter Three—The Hogwarts Champion**

When the next morning came around, I had lost all will to put my name into the Goblet. Blasted George! His words kept sticking in the back of my head, nagging at me until I decided against entering. After all, who wants fame and glory? Harry Potter has all of that, but he doesn't seem very happy about it. Besides, if I was chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Tournament, I wouldn't have any time to focus on my studies. I couldn't fathom letting Professor Snape down, not when he had Holly and the twins to deal with in his class.

I walked into the Great Hall, my eyes skimming for Holly. I assumed she would still be staking out the Goblet of Fire, and she was. I adored my predicatble best friend. Something else caught my eye, though, and I was striding across the room the moment I noticed. This time, she wasn't alone.

"Go on, have a taste. We promise they won't do any harm, Ice." Fred's hand was extended, and a violent purple toffee sat in his palm. His grin was enthusiastic, his eyes persuasive.

"And if anything does happen, we know what to do," George agreed amicably with a nod.

"It sure looks safe…and it _is_ rather lovely…" Holly bit her lip, her eyes flickering back and forth between the Goblet and the toffee. She couldn't seem to decide which deserved her attention more. The Goblet wasn't doing anything, and that toffee was oh so tantalizing. Finally, fidgeting with her key, she blinked up at Fred and George. "You're sure it won't hurt?"

"We promise, Ice. Come on, would we lie to you?" Fred grinned at her, and she shook her head, reaching for the toffee. The poor girl, falling for their tricks! I couldn't let this go on. Dimly, I recalled the trouble we caused with the sweets we used to cook up, and a slight panic gave my feet the power to walk faster.

"Wait a moment, Holly." I crossed the Hall and stopped in front of her. Fred and George gave me wary glances, and Fred tried to hastily shove away the toffee. Before he could stash it away in his pocket, I snatched the toffee from him, frowning, inspected it. The purple-wrapped sweet did look harmless, but I knew better. _Harmless_ was not in their dictionary. "Just what is this, if I may ask? Considering you're trying to trick my best friend into eating it."

George shifted at the word _trick_, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "It's called a Ton Tongue Toffee." He dropped his voice as he explained what the effects of it were, and I gaped at him, horrified. "We tried it on a muggle this summer, and it appeared to work-"

"You were trying to get her to eat that! That's really cruel, you prat!" I shoved the toffee back at Fred and narrowed my eyes into the most dangerous glare I could produce. "I am a prefect, you know. I could confiscate that and have you put in detention for the ceremony tonight."

"You wouldn't," challenged Fred, raising his chin. He seemed to think my threat was empty, but they crossed a line when they tried to involve my best friend in their nasty experiments. Fred's twin knew it too, and he tried to smooth things over.

"Relax, Rehfate," said George, kicking at the floor with the toe of his shoe. While Fred met my gaze levelly, George stared at the Goblet, as though wishing it would do something to gain everyone's attention. The Goblet could have spit fire at our heads, yet I would have still kept my attention on him. "We've been testing them on ourselves, but—"

"_Them_? You mean to say that there are more of these…these foul candies that you've made?" My eyes widened in disbelief.

"'Course there are!" Fred shook his head like I should have known this. He raised a hand to count as he and his brother began to count of names. "We have Ton Tongue Toffee—"

"Nosebleed Nougat—"

"And we're working on Puking Pastilles and—"

I put up a hand to cease their chatter, and they both silenced. "I don't care. Work on this rubbish all you want—test them on _yourselves_ all you want—but I will not have you giving them to other students! It's barbaric! If I hear any more about testing on others, Professor Snape will hear about this." Briskly, I turned away from them to raise an eyebrow at Holly. She immediately began to panic, as though she were about to be scolded by her mother. I relaxed a little, letting her release some of her steam.

"It looked so pretty!" she said, twisting the key to her diary through her fingers anxiously. "I didn't know it would be so bad…Why would you try to give that to me?" She glared at the twins, tears welling in her eyes as she imagined what might have happened had she eaten the toffee. "That was a right foul trick! What did I ever do to you?" She was taking it far too personally, I realized, and I needed to get her out of there before she began to hex the twins.

"Oh dear, now you've got her upset!" I narrowed my eyes, lips pursed, and tugged Holly to her feet. "Come on, let's go—"

"To the library?"

"To the loo?"

"Shut up!" I hissed at the twins, who were back to grinning. George, who had looked guilty a moment ago, was back to normal, and I narrowed my eyes. That _must _have been an act he was trying to get me to fall for!

"I think you've got bigger problems to worry about," said George with a nod behind me.

"Bigger and thicker at that!" Fred agreed, smirking.

I spun around in time to spot Marcus Flint tormenting some girls from Beauxbatons. Flint wasn't the brightest student in Hogwarts, and he was currently repeating his final year for the second time. His stupidity was matched by his arrogance, though, and he wasn't giving the poor girls the option to say no. With a groan, I let go of Holly and walked over to the ugly troll. Immediately recognizing their chance, the girls briskly slipped away, and Flint wistfully watched them go, his eyes trained on their backsides until they were out of his sight. I snapped my fingers in his crude face to get his attention, and he glared.

"Flint, _please_ stop trying to snog the Beauxbatons girls against their will. Harassing our foreign guests will only give the Slytherin House a bad name." I hated the members of my House who were like him. If Salazar Slytherin were alive to see the members of his elite House, he would be disgusted. Slytherin were supposed to take pride in being cunning, not repulsive.

Flint stared at me for a moment before he put on a slimey smile. "How about I harass you instead then?" He grabbed my arm, dragging me closer to him, and I kicked at his leg. He grunted and held onto my wrist, attempting to twist it back. I fumbled for my wand, summoning the most gruesome curse I could think of to my mind.

"Let go of me, you vile—!"

"Oi! Instead, why don't you pick on someone your own size, Flint?"

"Or how about the two of us, since together we make up your size?"

"Mind you, we're talking size here."

"Yeah, not brains and good looks."

Fred and George approached us, arms crossed. Their tones were light and casual, but I detected a hint of steel in their voices. Fred grinned darkly, nudging his way between us. Flint sized him up, eyes narrowing, but Fred didn't back down. He merely continued to wear that devilish grin that the twins were so known to possess and shook his head in disappointment.

"Those Beauxbatons girls are way out of your league, mate. You've taken far too many bludgers to the face."

"And the head," George added coldly, stopping to stand beside me. His expression, if possible, was harder than his twin's. He glanced down at my wrist assessingly, before a smirk lifted his lips. "Courtesy of us, of course."

Flint stared between the twins and thought twice (which must have been really difficult for him). He must have decided against arguing with them, though, for he stalked off down the hall, a group of Slytherins following him. I took a breath, frowning. They shouted threats and insults back at the twins, and Fred put a taunting hand up to his ear to hear better.

"Curse him next time, Crim! Hex his pants off!" Holly chided, looping her arm around mine. She was grinning widely now that the troll was gone, and she appeared to be filled with courage.

"Nobody wants to see that," I replied calmly, cringing at the notion of a pantless Flint. I patted her arm gently and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll get him back eventually." And get him back I would. I hadn't forgotten all that Fred and George had taught me growning up with them. If there was anything that I could promise to Marcus Flint, it was a decent prank.

I glanced at the twins then, who were both watching me, and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."

Fred shrugged, grinning. "Don't mention it."

"Really, don't."

"We just don't like to see a girl get picked on by such a worthless sod as him."

"Nothing personal, Rehfate." Something about the look on George's face, however, told me the exact opposite. That was the second time I heard him say those words to me, and each time felt like a lie through clenched teeth.

Later that evening, Flint had to be rushed to the Hospital Wing due to a wicked nosebleed that wouldn't cease. I wondered with amusement and a rather large helping of satisfaction if the twins had something to do with it, but I didn't press the matter. If they wanted to get even with Flint, that was their business. I didn't honestly mind either way. I would still get even with Flint on my own time...a time which I hoped would be approaching soon.

"Shame, though," I murmured to a snickering Holly as we sat down with the rest of Hogwarts to watch the champion ceremony. "Flint's going to miss all the fun." It was the truth, too. The entire school was chatting eagerly with an excitement I never knew could possess these walls. Each person whispered to another, casting expecting glances at the Goblet of Fire, which brightened the entire Great Hall with it's powerful glow. We took a seat near the front, and I spotted Cedric nearby. He looked a little nervous, but I also saw longing in his eyes.

All of Hogwarts watched in anticipation as the Goblet of Fire spat out the names of the Triwizard Champions one by one in red fire. Dumbledore caught each piece of slightly charred parchment, turning it over to read the name. The first Champion was the one that would be representing Durmstranf, Viktor Krum. The room erupted into a loud cheer, with myself included. All of the Durmstrang students had entered, but Krum was the obvious choice. His group of female followers cheered and giggled loudly as he strode from his seat back to the room behind the Great Hall.

Next, the Goblet produced the name of the female Champion from Beauxbatons. Dumbledore caught the piece of paper, announcing that Fleur Delacour was the chosen Champion. I recognized her as one of the girls Flint had been harassing in the hallway, and I smiled a little. She rose to her feet, her smile broad and beautiful, as she walked to Dumbledore and shook his hand. Every male eye strained to watch her arse as she disappeared as well into the room.

Finally. The Hogwarts Champion. I eagerly held my breath as Holly clutched at my arm, chewing on her bottom lip. I tried to think in that moment who all had entered their name into the Goblet. I could remember Warrington, a Slytherin who definitely didn't deserve it, Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor Chaser that their entire House was rooting for, Cedric...why couldn't I remember anymore? I held my breath, watching the Goblet's orange fire spit out the piece of paper before returning to blue. Dumbledore caught it, read it over, and smiled, his blue eyes twinking with the fire.

"The Hogwarts Champion is...Cedric Diggory!"

The school erupted into a roar of applause, but none were as loud as the Hufflepuffs. Proudly, I cheered as well, clapping until my hands stung and cheering until my throat was sore. I thought Holly might faint from her excitement as she screamed and clapped with joy, her eyes brimming with tears. Ced would be a marvelous champion! Certainly he would lead Hogwarts to victory. There wasn't a better student that I could imagine the Cup could habe picked. He stood up, his smile as wide and broad as it could be, and he followed the path of the other two Champions.

Just as Dumbledore was opening his mouth to speak again, something strange occured. Suddenly, the blue flames turned bright orange again, and the Cup coughed out one more name. Dumbledore, completely bewildered and extremely alarmed, caught the paper in his hand, reading it over once, then again. The Hall silenced automatically as Dumbledore, face paled by the blue flame burning from the Goblet, called out the name of the _fourth _champion. I had never heard his voice quiver the way it did then, and the shudder from his tone rippled throughout the Hall when we heard that name. In that moment, I thought my heart might explode out of my chest.

"Harry Potter!"

Minutes later, we all were ushering out of the Great Hall, murmuring to each other. I stayed quiet, thinking about what had just happened. Everywhere I looked, I heard people saying that Potter had entered his name himself. He must have learned some Dark Magic, they said. Probably something You Know Who would have used. Idiot boy! others claimed rudely, many of them Slytherin. How did he do it? How did he put his name into the Goblet of Fire? My feet began to slow, a thought suddenly occuring to me. Holly, still shaking from the night's events, paused to look at me.

"It's curious," I murmured to Holly, my voice quiet to avoid confrontation from any other students. "How did Potter's name get into that Goblet?"

"You accusing him of cheating?" Fred and George stepped in front of us, blocking our path and looking mutinous. _They_ just had to pick up on my words, didn't they? I pursed my lips, resisting the urge to allow my temper to get the better of me.

"Did I say that?" I raised an eyebrow, glancing at each of them, and they deflated a little. Now that I had their attention, I finished my thought. "What I mean is, something is definitely wrong with this situation. Potter might be in some serious danger."

"You think someone put his name in on purpose?" Holly nervously played with the key around her neck again, her deep brown eyes as wide as saucers. "Why would anybody do that?"

I shrugged, shaking my head a little. "I don't know, but I have the feeling we'll find out before the end of this Tournament." Until then, I had bigger things to be concerned about, and they both stood right in front of me. I crossed my arms and frowned. "Now, do the two of you mind moving? Or did you want something else?" I stared between the two of them, daring one of them to scoff or tease me. After today, I wasn't in the mood. I felt drained, mentally and physically, and all I really wanted to do was venture down into my comfortable dungeon and curl up with my Potions book.

The twins glanced at each other, and Fred nodded to his brother. "Keep your eyes open," George muttered to me as they stepped around us, headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. I could hear them whispering something to each other, but that wasn't what crossed my mind just then

I bit my lip, turning to watch them, and called, "I heard Flint had a rather horrible nosebleed this afternoon."

"Yeah? What of it?" Fred asked, smirking at me over his shoulder. I knew that look, knew without a doubt what had caused Flint's nosebleed. Those rotten Weasley twins had given him one of their-what were they? Nosebleed Nougat?

"Are you accusing us of testing our products on others after _you_ specifically ordered us not to?" George was grinning as well, but I recognized the dangerous glint in his brown eyes. He wore the same stoney expression he had on when they interfered with Flint earlier, and it was not a look I knew that well.

My lips quirked, and I chose my words carefully. "Nothing personal," I said with another shrug. Then, turning on my heel, I followed Holly as far as the dungeons. She excitedly prattled about Cedric, giving me knowing glances every few seconds. I didn't know what was on her mind, and I was rather afraid to ask. My thoughts were on the brown-eyed boy watching us until we vanished from his sight. For a moment, I considered glancing back; gratefully, I decided against it.

Nothing personal indeed.

**That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this. A point of note is that I held Flint back another year. I needed an thick-headed idiot. I'm also fiddling with the notion of keeping Cedric alive in this arc...any opinion on that? Okay, thank you for reading again! I'll try to update again later!**


	4. Fire and Rain

**All right, loves! Time for another update! Thank you to those who read and reviewed (and I'm talking to pretty much one reviewer here, but eh), and thanks to future readers who have made it to chapter four. **

**A/N: Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter or any people, places, or things involved.**

**Chapter Four—Fire and Rain**

Tension was building and building as November 24 loomed closer. _POTTER STINKS_ badges glared from the breast pockets of almost every Hogwarts student, save for the Gryffindors. They shot nasty looks at the Slytherin House while we paraded around shoving them in the Gryffindors' faces. I refused to wear a badge. I was a prefect; even though I was rooting for Cedric, Potter was a Hogwarts student as well. If they were going to make _POTTER STINKS_ badges, they might as well make ones for Fleur and Krum as well.

Holly wore a badge to support Cedric. He had always been unapproachable to her, but his newfound fame gave her even more of a reason to hide from him when they passed in the hallways. I made matters worse by stopping him whenever I could to wish him luck, ask him about his family, and question him on his strategy for the First Task. One day, it became too much for her to handle, and she called me on it in Potions class.

"I can't believe you!" Holly hissed at me one day in Potions class. I barely heard her; my focus was on brewing the Draught of Living Death. I was glad I had read up on it, like Professor Snape had suggested. If I hadn't, my potion, which was supposed to be lilac, might have been the same shade of brilliant orange as Holly's.

"What did I do this time?" Focusing wasn't particularly easy. Holly beside me kept talking, and the twins were across the room snickering and pranking their friend Lee Jordan, who was sitting in front of them. I rubbed sweat from my brow, reminding myself to concentrate. Professor Snape had often lectured about distractions taking our mind away from the potion at hand. I considered Holly a challenge that I needed to overcome in Potions class, and she was doing a fairly decent job of distracting me.

"Talking to Cedric like that!" Holly threw the sopophorous bean into her cauldron whole, and the color changed to a sickly blue. I glanced over, a little concerned about being so close to a dangerous potion. Did she just add Valerian sprigs and mistletoe berries? I double checked the ingredients to make sure, curious if she used her Potions book as a pillow because she obviously made no attempt to read it. "It's completely absurd! He's _Cedric Diggory. _You can't just talk to him like he's a normal person."

"You know, one of these days, I'm going to let him know how strongly you fancy him. Perhaps he'll return the feelings." I glanced at her cauldron again, wary of what it might do to me if even a drop touched my skin. If worse came to worse, I had to make sure her potion and mine remained entirely separate. "I'm fairly certain your potion should not be pale blue."

"Yeah, I stopped paying attention after the second step…" Holly raised her hand, and I thought I saw Professor Snape openly retch.

"Yes, Miss Ice?" He asked, slowly approaching our table. He sneered at her potion, lip curling up. "Do you know how to read, Miss Ice?"

"I've tried, but I always have headaches afterward," she replied, also looking to her potion. "So I should write an essay on the proper way to brew the Draught of Living Death, the common uses of the potion, and give examples? Will two full rolls of parchment be sufficient?"

Professor Snape frowned a little. "On my desk by Monday." I could have been wrong, but I didn't think he liked it very much that Holly's potentially dangerous brewing was becoming more and more of a habit. He opened his mouth as though to continue with a well-deserved lecture. Before he could, however, he was distracted, though, from the sudden explosion from across the room. Lee Jordan's hair was smoking, and the twins were diving in and out of fits of laughter. They tried to keep a straight face for a moment before giving in to the comedy of the situation and releaasing their snickers.

"Weasley!" Professor Snape crossed the room, equipped with a glare for each of them. They didn't bother trying to control their laughs in his presence; in fact, Professor Snape's appearance seemed to make the situation all the more comical. "Why is Mr. Jordan's hair on fire?" His voice was calm and collected, which meant they needed to be worried.

"I dunno, Professor," said Fred.

"Maybe he heated his cauldron too high?" George supplied with a shrug. "Of course, we didn't help."

"Yeah, should've known better than to ask us the right temperature." Nobody in their right mind would ask Fred and George for the date and time, let alone instructions.

Lee grinned over his shoulder at the twins, but his face fell when he realized Professor Snape was glaring coldly at him. He turned around in his seat, straightened, but I saw his shoulders shaking with silent chuckles.

"Ten points each from Gryffindor, and ten points from Mr. Jordan as well for disrupting my class. If it happens again, I will have the three of you sample Miss Ice's potion, and who knows what that will do to you." I could have been wrong, but Professor Snape wa overly delighted about the idea of feeding them Holly's concoction of a questionable nature.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to drink it if I were you. I'm not really quite sure what all went into this potion, now that I think about it….were mistletoe berries an ingredient this time?" She glanced at me for confirmation and smiled sheepishly when I solemnly shook my head. "Then again, you two did try to feel me that horrid toffee…."

"Will I have to take points from Hufflepuff as well?" Professor Snape glanced at me before striding to the front of the classroom. "As usual, only one student managed to successfully brew a Draught of Living Death. Twenty points to Slytherin for Miss Rehfate's accomplishment today. If you all would please fill a phial with your potions and bring it to my desk, you may go."

I ladled some of my clear potion into a phial and left Holly alone to find a way to soup hers out of her cauldron. As I approached the desk, I was keenly aware of the two pairs of identical eyes following me. I tried to ignore them, but they, of course, would not have that.

"Good job today, Rehfate," muttered Fred when I walked past the twins. He jumped up to get in line behind me, and his twin folllowed suit.

"Yeah, good job," George echoed. "Might as well give you points for picking your nose."

"We all know you dig for bogies better than the rest of us."

"Shut it," I hissed at them. I handed my crystal phial to Professor Snape, who nodded with approval. I thought I cuaght a glimpse of a smile, but that could easily have been a trick of the light. I quickly stepped around Fred and George, glad to avoid a conflict with them, and started for the table. When I returned to our desk to gather my books, I discovered Holly in the midst of a serious dilemma.

"Professor? My potion is too thick to ladle into the phial," she said miserably, deciding that giving up now was her best bet.

Professor Snape waved his wand, and the contents of her failed potion vanished before our eyes. "Very well, Miss Ice. You shall receive partial credit for succeeding in not blowing up my classroom. I advise you leave before I change my mind." I grabbed her arm and tugged her out of the classroom before she did discover some way of wrecking the room. Once I thought we were safe from destruction, I let her go, and she fell into a happy step beside me.

"That was close!" she whispered to me as we climbed the steps out of the dungeon. Our next classes were separate, but we both followed the same path out to the grounds. Instantly, I noticed the lack of sun and pursed my lips. Care of Magical Creatures was already horrid enough without rain.

"You really should try harder in Potions," I chided gently, casting a sorrowful glance at the darkening sky. The clouds were nearly black, and only faint glimpses of the sun covered the outside of the school.

"I do try, Crim. Honest, I do. I just can't seem to get the hand of potion-making. I either heat the potion too much or add too many ingredients or stir the wrong way too many times…"

"Or don't read the instructions properly?" Cedric caught up to us, trying not to laugh. He beamed one of his signature smiles at me as he fell into step beside us. "Nice job today, Crim. I think I missed a step on my potion. Maybe you should give us a lesson on pleasing Professor Snape?"

Holly silenced immediately, and I knew she was trying to blend in with the scenery of the courtyard. This was one of the things she had been scolding me about. Smiling to myself, I pretended not to notice and said, "Oi, Ced! Have you prepared for the first task yet?"

"Not quite," he admitted, shifting slightly and shaking his head. "It's a little hard to prepare for a task when you don't know what's coming. Thanks for supporting me, by the way." He smiled at Holly, who turned a soft shade of green. I was afraid at any time that she might vomit. "Good job bewitching your badge to stop changing. That's some skillful magic." He nodded to the badge that she proudly displayed on her breast pocket, which perpetually shone with the words _SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY_.

Her cheeks burned brightly, and she opened her mouth a couple times to respond, reminding me a little bit of a fish. Quickly, she looked away and began to fiddle with her key again. "I, I, well…Charms is my favorite class…and I don't believe in false campaigning. Those vile Slytherins made the badges change like that. No offense, Crim," she added anxiously, her eyes flashing to me. "You're not vile, obviously."

"Thanks," I said with a shake of my head, and I knew she meant it.

A roar of laughter erupted from across the courtyard. Curiously, Cedric beckoned us, and we followed him to the circle of students forming around Professor Moody. He was muttering a long string of insults, glaring as he waved his arm up and down. A white ferret was flailing wildly through the air, following the tip of Moody's wand. Crabbe and Goyle were gaping like brainless sods (more so than usual), and that could only mean one thing. I looked around for the familiar greasy blond hair, and when I didn't spot it, I grinned like a maniac. My respect for Moody just shot straight up.

"That's Malfoy!" I whispered to Holly and Cedric, whose mouths fell open in realization.

"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?" Less quiet, Holly began laughing and spreading the word; she turned to the nearest person and informed them, and the group behind her caught the news as well. Beside her, Cedric crossed his arms and chuckled quietly, his eyes glued to the scene of the ferret twisting and turning as it bounced up and down in humiliation.

"That's enough!" Professor McGonagall rushed over to the group, having found out what was going on. She broke up the circle of us watching by returning Malfoy to his usual and greasy state. He scampered away with his clueless crones, shouting threats the whole time. McGonagall turned to Moody for scolding; I couldn't hear what was being said, but he certainly didn't seem to be taking her seriously. I laughed and looped my arm with Holly's, tugging her gently toward the grounds. Moody might have the liberty to disrespect McGonagall, but we did not possess the same freedom. If we were spotted hanging around, she might turn those thin eyes on us, and that was the last thing I wanted.

"Now that I think about it, Malfoy does look rather like a ferret," Holly laughed breathlessly, her cheeks flushed from the excitement.

"You have a point," agreed Ced as he stopped by the entrance to the greenhouses. Holly froze entirely, as thought just now remembering he was with us. Her lips zipped shut so tightly, I barely believed she was the same Holly from only moments ago. "Come on, Holly. We'll be late for Herbology. See you later, Crim!"

Holly stared at him as he walked into the greenhouse with their fellow Hufflepuffs, a strange sort of expression on her visage. "Can you believe it, Crim? He knows my name! He really does!" Giggling, she followed him, her ponytail bouncing with her steps.

Shaking my head, I continued along the path to Hagrid's hut. It was either now or never with Care of Magical Creatures. The subject wasn't particularly my Thunder rumbled overhead, and I cast a wary glance at the sky. I quietly prayed that the rain did cut my class with the Gryffindors short this afternoon. The less time I had to spend with the twins, the better. I was beginning to hate each second I spent in their vicinity. Before, they would leave me alone, pranking me only out of boredom or when our paths. Now, though...now Fred and George made it their goal to get under my skin as much as possible, and I didn't understand what had honestly changed.

Before I reached the hut, the rain started. I put up the hood on my cloak to keep away some of the rain from my eyes, my feet already soaked through to my socks and my shoes covered and caked with mud. The rest of my class crowded around the large outline of Hagrid, which I could barely make out through the thick fog drifting over from the Black Lake. I squinted, finding the light from his lantern to focus on. From what I could tell, he was using a grand umbrella that probably could have accomodated the whole class, and he had one hand cupped to his mouth to talk over the rain.

"Today's class'll be cancelled," Hagrid bellowed above the downpour. "Get back t' the castle, the lot 'f ya! 'Fore the storm gets too bad!"

I tightened my cloak as the class turned in unison and began to trudge back to the castle. The rain was becoming thicker and thicker by the second, and I couldn't even make out the turrets of the school anymore. All I saw was the darkness and fog brought on by the storm. I began to shake, my footing unsteady as my body tensed for more thunder.

"Blast!" My foot slipped, and I fell onto the messy ground. With a grumble, I tried to stand, but my shoes, unequipped for the mud, only glided against the drenched grass. I took a breath, ready to cry. Another loud snarl of thunder sounded directly above us, and I pursed my lips, tears already staining my eyes. If there was one thing I didn't like, it was storms. Even when I was young, the thunder and lightning paralyzed me to the spot the way it did now.

"No, go on!" A figure paused in front of me, and a hand appeared in my face, the fingers trembling from the cold and dripping with spots of rain. "You aren't too proud to take help from a blood traitor, are you, Rehfate?"

I stared up at George. His voice was teasing and casual, but his brown eyes were serious. Without thinking, I accepted his hand, and he tugged me to my feet. I stumbled into him, clinging to his cold cloak, and he put an arm around me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I held onto him for dear life, soaked through to the skin by now. He took a breather, and I felt his eyes bearing down on me; I didn't look up to see what expression he wore. He rubbed my freezing knuckles with his hands; I thought I heard him sigh.

"Hold on," he said, teeth clenched, and I listened, gripping his hand with all the strength my icy fingers possessed. He picked up his pace, dragging me with him as he raced toward the school. More thunder growled, and a crack of lightning shot across the sky. I cowered closer to him, forcing my quaking legs to move faster and faster. I tried to squint through the thick rain, but I saw no sign of the castle anywhere or any of the students from our class. Then, I spotted a faint, almost nonexistent glimmer in the distance. Hope bounded through my stomach, elating me.

"Georgie, there!" I pointed to the faint glimmer of light, and he changed his course. I ran alongside him now, my strength renewed by the mere thought of shelter from the dangerous storm. As we got closer, I realized we had discovered the docks. He shoved the door open and ushered me in. As George struggled with the door against the wind, I conjured a flame in the center of the room. I felt the warmth from it almost immediately, and I suddenly realized just how bloody cold I was.

Then, slowly, George turned to look at me, his chest rising and falling as rapidly as my heart beat in my chest. Something about his expression startled me, worrying me. He had never worn this emotion on his countenace before, and I didn't quite know what to make of it. He took a breath, finding his voice at last. "You...you called me Georgie. You haven't called me that since we were eleven."

I stared at him, unsure how to reply. I sat down and huddled close to the fire, my eyes on the orange flame. I had called him that without even realizing that I did, almost like the instincts I used in Potions class. I called him _Georgie_ because that was his name to me. Any other name, even just George, didn't sound right to me. "Habit, I suppose."

"Yeah, habit…" George didn't sound satisfied with that answer, but he thankfully didn't push the matter any further. He sat down beside me and watched the flickering flame dance in the center of the floor. I glanced at him, wishing he would say more, but I also focused on the fire when he didn't.

We were both quiet for a moment, hearing only the pounding of the rain against the building and windows. The wind howled, and my shoulders shook. I didn't know what to say to him. We hadn't been alone together in ages; what had we talked about back then? I couldn't even remember that. I found myself wondering what he was thinking when another shriek of lightning lit up the sky outside. I started, clutching my hands together, and George laughed quietly.

"You never did like storms. I remember you would always climb into bed with me at night when you heard a storm coming," he mused quietly, finally looking at me with the faint ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Rub it in a bit more, why don't you?" I scoffed shakily, shrugging out of my wet cloak. If the storm continued at the rate it was, we would be there for some time, and the cloak wasn't making matters for me any better. I set it out to get warm by the flame and wrapped my arms around my legs tightly.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. Here." George tossed his own cloak off and scooted closer to me. I stiffened when I felt his arms wrap around me, surprising myself with the intensity of the urge to just wrap my arms around him and bury myself in his safe arms. He glanced down at me, an eyebrow raised and a frown now possessing his lips.

"Relax, would you? None of your fellow Slytherin are here to scold you for cozying up to a Weasley."

"I—" My voice was drowned out by more thunder, and I clung to him anxiously, wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I could. With another chuckle, he tucked me up against his chest, and I heard the smile in his voice.

"Wasn't so hard, was it, Rehfate?"

My pumping heart began to slow incredibly, and I knew George had something to do with it. Even with the wicked storm rolling outside, I felt safe with him. Faintly, I became aware of how well-built he actually was now. When we were younger, he and Fred hadn't been so strong, and I struggled against the powerful yearning to reach my hand out and touch the muscles on his chest. All those years of hitting bludgers on the Quidditch field had done wonders for his body. Suddenly, a strange warmth filled the pit of my stomach that heated even my numb toes. All rational thought was leaving me; I was subject now to the waves of emotion that weakened my body and mind.

"Georgie…why are you being so nice to me? I've been nothing but cruel to you all these years." I glanced up at him, not surprised to find him staring at the fire. I distinctly heard the patter of rain begin to slow, but the conversation at hand seemed so much more important than the ending storm. I wanted to know. I _had _to know. The answer was so necessary to me, as though my life hung in the balance, ready to crumble at his word.

Then, he looked at me, and he was close enough for me to feel his breath on my cheeks. The heating sensation spread even further from my gut, filling my cheeks and fueling my heart. Painfully, he offered a shrug and a grimace. "Crim, you…you were the one who pushed me away."

My heart missed a beat. His gaze wavered, flickering down, and he inched closer. His soft lips lightly grazed mine hesitantly, and I heard myself sigh. I couldn't breathe so well anymore, couldn't think straight. I didn't remember where we were or why we were even there. I just knew I bloody well wanted him to kiss me. For a few blissful seconds, that was all that mattered. I was his Crim, and he was my Georgie.

Then, I remembered that I was not, in fact, _his_ Crim. His bled red, and I bled green. This couldn't happen. I had to stop him somehow, but the his gaze and scent intoxicated me beyond all capabale thought. No…this couldn't...

"Stop!" I shoved him away. George reeled in shock, taken aback by my sudden rejection. He tried to grab my arm, but I evaded him by jumping to my feet. Quickly, I put on my cloak, not bothering to see whether it was dry or not, and headed for the door. My heart beat louder than the storm once had, filling my head with pain and memory. I had to get away from him. If I didn't, I might do something that we both would regret in the end.

"Crim!" When I turned to face him, George glared at me from the floor, fury lining every part of his features. I didn't know he could wear such an angry expression. Tightly, I swallowed and fiddled with the clasp of my cloak. My hands shook no longer from the cold but from something else deep within me that told every fiber of my being that walking away from him was wrong.

"Nothing personal…right, Georgie?" I whispered, almost no volume to my voice at all.

His lips tightened into a thin line, and I saw a storm in his eyes as wild as the one that had just ended outside. Finally, he broke the eye contact and instead glared angrily at the floor. He wet his bottom lip, deflating exceptionally, and spoke in such a flat, injured tone, I wanted to turn around immediately and return to his side."…Right. Nothing personal."

I couldn't stay any longer. If I spent more time in that room with him, my strength would give in, and there would be no turning back after that. So I bolted out of the building as fast as my legs could carry me. By now, the rain that painted my face was light, and I was grateful. My tears mixed with the drops of rain, and I almost convinced myself that my tears _were_ raindrops, just falling naturally from the sky with no connection to George or the kiss that almost happened.

I spent the rest of the night in the library, thinking. I hadn't even bothered to change out of my wet clothes, my soaked feet becoming sore and clammy in my ankle boots. My heart had been hurting ever since George almost kissed me, and I couldn't quite concentrate on much more than the thumping in my temple. I kept repeating one question over and over again in my mind until those words were all I could see: Why had I stopped him? Was it fear? If so, fear of what? Certainly not of George. Did I fear what the outcome would be..? I couldn't think anymore. I stared at words in a book that had little meaning to me, willing those crude scribblings to make sense to no avail. I couldn't overcome the overwhelming feeling to just break into pieces and cry.

That is, until Holly and Cedric approached me. Cedric was as white as one of the ghosts roaming Hogwarts, his grey eyes wide and terrified. Swallowing, he offered a frightened smile, and I sat up in my seat. Something was wrong, something more pressing than my recent encounter with George Weasley. I beckoned them both closer to have a seat, but they didn't move. Cedric seemed clued to the spot, a mixture of relief and absolute fear lining the smooth features of his visage.

"Crim…I need your help," he said quietly. He cleared his throat, pushing his voice to obtain more volume. "I know what the first task is now. It's dragons."

Bloody hell.

**This chapter was really long…I think my pencil got the better of me this time. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll work on the next update soon! Thanks again for reading.**


	5. The First Task

**Time for another update! I'm really enjoying writing this fic, and I hope everyone reading is enjoying it as much. Thank you for taking the time to read this!**

**Thank you to RozTheGreat for her advice; the first four chapters have been edited to include much more detail and hopefully more flow. And a huge thank you to sango-savino/wantsmorenow for her continual reviews and support. This might have died out without you. 3**

**Also, I would like to thank the time to point out that my completely amazing best friend, sango-savino, has written her own Fanfic following mine. It's completely in Holly's POV, and she's doing really well with it. I can't wait to hear more from her!**

**A/N: Don't own them, just like to play with them. J.K. Rowling has some nice toys. :3**

**The First Task**

We didn't do a very good job deciding a tactic for Ced to use against the dragon. In fact, our ideas were horrible. I suggested trying to shoo the dragon in the eyes to blind it, but Cedric was opposed to the notion of harming the dragon ("It's going to bloody well try to kill you, Ced!" I told him). Holly flicked me on the nose for even thinking about harming the dragon.

"It's a living creature," she said curtly, frowning at me. For some odd reason, I had the feeling that she was just chiding me because of Cedric. Now that she had gotten over her fear of him—for the sake of helping him win the task, I had no doubt—she agreed with almost everything that came out of his mouth. "You could compare hurting it to yelling at Gred and Forge—I mean Fred and George for testing their sweets on people." She was so tired that she could barely form words with her mouth.

Still, I contemplated flicking her on the nose the way she just had. Holly just had to bring them up. I had spent most of my time avoiding them. George had come to the conclusion that it was simpler for him to just pretend that I didn't exist. Fred, on the other hand, pranked me as usual; I walked into potions class one day to discover that my cauldron had been bewitched to spit out every ingredient that I tried to add. Professor Snape deducted twenty house points from Fred for that trick.

"Sure," I agreed loftily, "it is a living creature, and it does not deserve to be hurt, but think of it this way: that dragon, the creature you want to remain uninjured, will probably try to kill Cedric. Which do you want more, an uninjured dragon or an uninjured Cedric?" The attack was aimed below the belt, I knew, but she gave me no other choice. I had to pick on her weak spot, and that weak spot just happened to be sitting at our library table.

After that, Holly sincerely tried to convince Cedric to blind the dragon, but he wouldn't hear anything about it. We only had a couple days left to figure out what to do to keep him alive and in the lead. He spent more time with the two of us and less time with the rest of his Hufflepuff friends, and I didn't really mind that. Fred and George were less likely to prank us with two prefects on alert, and Cedric was a fairly easy person to get along with.

"I know!" Holly exclaimed the night before the task. We were all tired and needed a good night's sleep, but we sat up in the library anyway, pouring over books of spells and potions. I didn't discover a potion that might help Cedric, and Holly wasn't optimistic until she flipped lazily through a Transfiguration book. "Cedric, you're really good at Transfiguration, aren't you? Why don't you turn something into an animal, like a rock or whatever you can find, so that the dragon will be distracted?"

Cedric yawned, thinking over the plan in his mind. "Well…that might work…" Then, he sat up, grinning a little like an exhausted sod. "Yeah! I'll just have to distract the dragon. I think they have short attention spans."

"We should have asked Hagrid," I mumbled sleepily. If anyone knew about dragons, it was Hagrid; he loved them, and I remembered once in my third year he hatched a dragon right in his hut. We were silly to have not asked him. "You need to get your sleep right now, Ced. The task is in the morning. We have a plan now, so you don't need to worry as much. Just use your strong points, and you'll do fine."

"Thanks, Crim. I owe you one," he said, planting a friendly kiss upon my temple.

"Don't I know it?" I said, my eyelids heavy. I was ready to go to bed; for once, I wanted to leave the library. In all my years at Hogwarts, I had never experienced a moment where I didn't yearn to be within the safe caress of the bookshelves, each with its unique aroma of old parchment. I didn't know I could ever have such a powerful desire to return to my dorm in the dungeons.

"Thank you as well, Holly." Cedric kissed her brow as well. I might have imagined it, but I thought he lingered just a moment longer.

"No, you don't need to thank me…I mean, I just wanted to help…" Holly's face burned red, but her smile glowed like leprechaun gold.

_I want that_, I found myself thinking as I followed the stony path to the dungeons. It was so simple for Holly to be around Cedric. Her feelings for the seeker, always known by me, were becoming more evident to him as well. When I thought about romance, I knew the guys from Slytherin were out of the question. After all, the ones who weren't aiming to be Death Eaters were completely stupid or rude.

Then who? I climbed into my bed, making sure my alarm was set for breakfast. I wanted to wish Cedric good luck one more time before he went out to face that dragon. As I closed my eyes, I wondered if a ginger twin with brown eyes was thinking about me at that very precise moment as well. Probably not. After all, what were those words we kept repeating to each other…? Too tired to think about it anymore, I let slumber take over me, knowing full well that the morning would come far too soon for my liking.

And it did. I let my feet carry me to the Great Hall that morning and sat down at the end of the Slytherin table. Still far too groggy, I tried to eat for energy, but the taste of food made me sick. I shoved away my plate of eggs and instead glanced around me at my fellow House members. Beside me sat a girl that I shared our dorm with, Star Chaser. She was chatting away to another Slytherin, her fingers absently twirling 'round a lock of her sleek blond hair. I often wondered if Star was part Veela, or if her resemblance was only coincidental.

"My money's on Krum to win," she was saying to the Slytherin, a boy I didn't recognize. From the looks of him, he was younger than us and rather eager to hear what his superior had to say. "Think about it. He's built strong and limber from playing so much Quidditch. Cedric may be a Seeker as well, but his experience doesn't come near Krum's."

Smiling, I imagined Holly's reaction to that and decided to join in the conversation. I took another small bite of my toast before choosing not to eat at all; my stomach already felt nauseated enough as it was. "So you're not rooting for a Hogwart's Champion, Star?"

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against our school," she said sharply, her almond-shaped blue eyes narrowing at me. "I'm merely talking about pure talent. Cedric doesn't stand a chance against him, and don't get me started on that Potter boy. He'll be lucky if he makes it past the first task." She tossed her hair over her shoulder thoughtfully, a smile curling her lips. "As for Fleur, she might as well drop out now before the dragon mars that pretty face of hers."

I glanced down at my plate, hearing her words and wishing I hadn't at the same time. She had more of a point than I would have liked to admit. Krum was the likely winner of the Tournament. He certainly had the build for it, but the brains? I doubted that. Cedric at least knew partially what he was doing. I had no doubt in my mind that Krum had somebody else doing all the planning for him. He was a poster boy, a girl magnet. The money maker. He would stand in the spotlight while Karkaroff plotted in the background.

I listened to Star continue to explain about Krum and his body strength, my mind wandering. In the docks when George had held me, I noticed then how strong his muscles were. Quidditch really wasn't a bad thing at all; I smiled to myself a little, my cheeks heating ever so slightly. I had sworn to myself not to think about that day with George, but already, I…

"Are you as nervous as I am?" Holly asked, plopping down beside me. "The Champions already went down to the arena. We're supposed to follow soon. Cedric looked really pale and worried this morning….Do you think that our plan will work? I don't want him to get hurt." She gazed at me with eyes so concerned, I thought my heart might break in two. I reached over and took her hand, gripping it gently.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Holly," I said with a yawn. "Come on, now. Let's head down to the arena. We do want good seats, don't we?"

We made our way down to the specially built arena, Holly anxiously chatting the whole time. I had been right; the arena filled up faster than a Firebolt. We managed a decent spot near the front where we could see clearly, just across the stadium from the judges table. Below us, I recognized Harry Potter's friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Both were looking nervous, and I understood their panic. I didn't know Ced as well as they knew Harry, but I was still completely on edge.

Matters didn't improve when a familiar set of identical red-heads settled down next to us on my side. I knew George was beside me at once; the expression he gave me, emotionless and foreign, made me want to go crawl into a hole. Fred, however, took the opportunity to try to get us to gamble, and I wagered his twin hadn't told him about our near-kiss in the docks.

"Would you two ladies like to place a bet?"

"Oh, I don't want to think about it!" Holly began pacing along the isle behind me, anxiously fiddling with the key around her neck. Off and on, her eyes filled with tears, and she kept giving expectant glances to the tent beside the arena where the Champions undoubtedly awaited their fate. People passed her, throwing her dirty looks for getting in their way, and I muttered a name at Star as she shoved Holly out of the way. Holly caught herself against the railing, recovered, and returned to pacing. Her knuckles were white from the intensity with which she clutched her key.

"Oi, is she okay?" Fred asked me, a little concerned.

"I'm still not sure about that." I took her shoulders in my hands. "Holly, Ced is going to be fine. He's _Cedric_, remember? According to you, he's perfect in any way. He will do fine." I wasn't sure who I was trying to reassure more. I didn't think I sounded very convincing, and Holly responded with a vigorous shake of her head, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose.

"I should have told him how mad I am for him," she wailed, tightening her fingers around the key as though it alone held the source of Cedric's life. "What if he dies? People do die in this tournament, Crim! He could die, and I'll never get to tell him that I…I…"

"I'm sure he knows, Holly." She gave me a horrified, accusing look, and I hastily continued, "Think about this. Do you really think that Professor Dumbledore would let one of the Champions die right in front of him?" When she sniffled and wiped her cheeks, I gave her an encouraging smile and patted her shoulder fondly. "There now. Why don't we place a bet?"

"All right…" Holly emptied her pockets, finding a few gold galleons and some silver sickles. Thoughtlessly, she handed the lot to Fred. "All of this on Cedric. He's going to win!"

Fred thought about that for a moment. "What about Harry? You don't think he has a shot at winning?"

"He's nice and all, but I think he's still just a little young for this competition. Also, he's _not_ Cedric Diggory."

I tried to block out their healthy debate, smiling a little. As long as Fred was keeping her occupied with something that wouldn't harm her, I was glad that her steam was directed elsewhere. That also gave me time to focus on George. He hadn't said a word yet; Fred had noticed, but he kept his mouth shut, probably guessing it had something to do with me.

They were twins, after all. Certainly George didn't hide anything from his brother. George wouldn't even take the time to prank me now; when he looked at me, I would have thought he didn't know me, his gaze was so foreign. He didn't understand; this was hard on me too, but I was resigned to the fact that an unbreakable line separated us now.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

"Oh no…Oh no! They're starting!" Holly gripped my arm, pointing at Dumbledore, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime as they took their seats at the judges table. I swallowed tightly, barely able to hear the crowd over the pounding in my own head. How I wished my heart would stop beating so loudly..!

Ludo Bagman stood up to explain the objective. Beside me, Fred and George muttered, "Foul git" in unison, but I tried to focus instead on Bagman's words. The two of them always were ones to call people names, but this was a little unusual. Off handedly, I wondered what Bagman had done to offend the twins so greatly, but the notion didn't remain with me for long. That _foul git_ was explaining the task, and he had every ounce of my attention.

The Champions were each going to face a different dragon. Their task was to retrieve the golden egg from the dragon's nest, preferably without harming any of the other eggs in the process. Points would be awarded for style, celerity, and ability. The next bit of information numbed my insides into ice. A drawing had been held to determine the order of the Champions in the task.

The first Champion to tackle a dragon was Cedric. I hated how excited Bagman was, and I had half a mind to start calling him names as well. Instead, I gripped Holly's hand; frightened for her fellow Hufflepuff, she held onto me tightly until I didn't have any feeling in my fingers.

Seconds later, that didn't matter anymore. All my focus centered on the Champion donning black and gold as he ventured out to face his Swedish Short Snout. A hush fell across the stadium, each person leaning eagerly closer and closer to the arena. The railing pressed into my gut, our clasped hands shaking. All that could be heard was the deafening silence muting the audience and the rough breathing of the enormous dragon.

Cedric didn't move for a moment. I bit my lip anxiously, my throat dry and tight. Once he overcame the initial shock of the dragon, he raised his wand and pointed to a rock across the stadium. With a wave, he transfigured the rock into a dog. A murmur rose throughout the stands, and I caught a few snickers and jeers.

"That's innovative," Fred whispered, attempting a straight face, and his twin nodded.

Still the diversion worked. The dragon turned its small eyes on the dog curiously, as though not really sure what to make of the Labrador. Breathing a sigh of relief, Cedric took the chance to clamber across the stone bedding toward the nest. He neared the nest, hands stretched out to take the golden egg.

"He's going to make it!" Holly bounced a couple of times, her eyes lighting up and her nails digging into the skin of my hand. "Crim, he's going to make it! The distraction worked!"

I was watching the dragon, though. It blinked a few times, staring at the dog, before the dragon made a vital decision. I saw the scaly neck begin to move, and a sickening feeling filled my stomach to the brim.

The moving target was far more interesting.

"Cedric, behind you!" I screamed, pounding my fish on the wooden railing. Holly's grip on my hand tightened exponentially until tears stung at my eyes.

Cedric turned. The dragon roared angrily at him, it's wicked tail lashing out against the rocks in fury. By now, it had realized that Cedric was heading for the nest of eggs, and the dragon was not happy about that at all. It opened its mouth, and a tremor went through the stands as each person shrank back in horror.

I could almost feel the heat from the fire bellowing from the dragon's mouth. Beside me, Holly screamed Cedric's name, fat tears dropping down her cheeks. I wrapped my arms around her, clutching her close as she sobbed for him. Across the stadium, Dumbledore stood up from his seat, his clear blue eyes examining the scene. We were all searching for some sign that Cedric was okay, but I could barely see through the blurry perspiration in my eyes.

A strong hand appeared on my shoulder. Abruptly, I turned my head up at George. He wasn't looking at me but at the arena instead, his expression hard. Swallowing, I placed one of my own hands atop his to seize his fingers as I held Holly, feeling so much stronger with George's support.

"Cedric! Look!" Holly pointed just then, and my heart rose through my chest with elation. Cedric was staggering toward the nurse's tent with one hand clasped around the golden egg and the other pressed to the burned side of his face. A cheer erupted within the stadium, and the excitement hit me like a punch in the gut.

He was okay. _Cedric was okay_. I felt like crying, screaming…hugging George.

"He's okay!" Holly cut off the emotion abruptly by returning me to the real world. She jumped out and down, her key jangling through the air, and hugged me. "He'll only have some battle scars! Nothing serious! He didn't die!" She released me to hug a Ravenclaw on the other side of her, who appeared a little less enthused about the task at all. Holly barely noticed; instead, she fell into a fit of delirious giggles and returned to cheering, her hands cupped around her mouth as tears of joy stained her glasses.

"Mental, that one," said Fred fondly with a grin in Holly's direction.

George nodded in agreement. "Yeah, mental…" Then, realizing, he removed his hand from my shoulder as though I myself had burned him with dragon's fire. He scratched his head, looking out at the stadium again. An odd pang shuddered through my heart, and I saw only him for a moment, spotted that distance in his eyes.

I didn't understand! Even after we parted ways first year, Fred and George never for even a moment treated me as coldly at George was now. I thought back to the stormy day inside the docks, and a chill passed through my veins. He had given me an angry stare that day, and that was better than the emotionless, hollow gazes I caught now. What had changed? For years, we had existed separately without even a notion of the friendship we used to have, let alone these new feelings that George exhibited.

The new feelings that I…

"Look! They're giving Cedric his score now!" Holly dragged me back to Hogwarts, where I was a Slytherin and George was a Gryffindor and any thought of teetering over those lines was ridiculous. I turned my full focus on the judges, allowing the excitement to fill me once again. They offered their points in silence, giving Cedric a thirty-eight out of fifty.

"Rubbish!" I muttered irritably. "Just because he got burned—"

"Look at that score! That's wonderful!" Holly didn't let the somewhat low score deflate her. She smiled in earnest excitement and joy, her eyes searching for a sign of Cedric. He had not reappeared yet from Madam Pomfrey's tent, and I could tell from Holly's nervous laughter that she was worried out of her mind for him.

To be honest, I was worried as well. I urged the last three Champions through their task, wishing the task could just be over. I wanted to see Cedric, congratulate him on doing a splendid job. I also wanted to get away from the presence beside me that kept drawing my attention. It was rather unlike George to brood; in fact, the only time I ever beheld him with such emotions was when his mother would stop us from making our strange concoctions. Never had I thought I would receive that expression of nonchalance.

Fleur took the stage after Cedric. Her tactic was an interesting one, and I was surprised I hadn't thought of it myself. She chose to enchant her dragon, the Welsh Green, into a deep sleep. Once she was positive the dragon wouldn't wake, she headed flawlessly toward the dragon's nest. An appreciative chatter filled the stadium, and even I was impressed; her strategy was rather brilliant. Well, it _was_ brilliant until the dragon let out a loud and low grumble of a snore, shooting flames from its nostrils in its slumber. Her skirt caught fire, which she extinguished with water from her wand, but the damage to her points had been done. She scored less than Cedric had, putting her in last place, for the time-being.

Viktor faced the Chinese Firebolt after Fleur. He followed the strategy I had suggested and blinded the dragon with a spell. Holly made a distressed, angry sound, muttering to me about cruelty towards creatures. According to her, he was punished for it; although the dragon could not see to attack him, it trampled half of its own eggs in its confusion. All of the judges deducted points for the broken eggs, except Kakaroff, who gave his student a very undeserved ten. From the looks of it, Star had been right. Krum was leading with forty points, two above Cedric.

"I don't care!" Holly whispered to me, her chin raised high in the air. "Cedric was far nobler than that oaf could ever be!" I had to hand it to her; she knew what she was talking about when Cedric Diggory was involved.

Lastly, Harry Potter stepped into the arena to face the Hungarian Horntail. I bit my lip out of concern; this boy was fourteen, far too young to be facing such an ill-mannered dragon! What were they thinking, putting a Horntail in the first task? I had read about them before, and I knew just how dangerous they could be. One smack from that tail, and they might be peeling Potter off the arena with a spatula.

"Oh, I don't know if I can watch this," I murmured, looking away. I made the mistake of glancing in George's direction, and I saw the worry on his face that was also mirrored on his twin's countenance. I thought back to their defense for the boy after his name had been chosen, and I realized they cared about him just as much as I cared for Cedric. Tentatively, I reached out and took George's hand. He tightened his fingers around mine instantly, his eyes trained on the arena still. Fred raised binoculars to his eyes to see clearer, but I was glad I didn't have them to wear; I didn't want to see at all.

Harry's strategy was far more brilliant than I could have imagined. Cedric played to his strength with transfiguration; Potter used flying. He summoned his broom as soon as he entered the stadium. He weaved around the Horntail's head, high enough to avoid the flames and the tail. The Horntail irritably watched its prey, not too eager to leave the nest to attack. Finally, temptation got the better of it, and the dragon took off after him. He dove sharply then and snatched the golden egg from the nest. He was only hit once by the brutal tail, but the injury to his arm wasn't serious. The stadium erupted into a grand applause, and even I let go of the two hands I was holding to clap for the boy. He did a marvelous job and managed to tie with Krum in points. I couldn't have been more shocked.

"Do you think they would let us see Cedric now?" Holly eagerly chewed on her nails. He hadn't won the first task, but Cedric was still perfect in her eyes.

"Is that _all_ you think about, Ice?" Fred teased with a grin. "I'd be more worried that you lost your bet!"

"Cedric is worth all my money!" she claimed and stuck her tongue out at him. The childish action only made the twins snicker in response.

"Stop teasing her," I chided with a frown. George silenced immediately and grimaced, as though reminded of something horrible, but Fred continued smiling.

"What will you do, Rehfate? Give us detention with dear Professor Snape?" he snickered.

"Lay off her," George muttered so quietly, I wasn't sure I heard him right. Then, stuffing his hands in his pockets, he slipped off into the crowd. I stared after him, following his red hair until I could no longer see him. A piece of me wanted to go after him. That is, until I saw the nasty look I was receiving from Fred.

"What the bloody hell did you do to him?" he demanded, brow furrowed in anger. "I know my twin. He only acts this way when you're around!"

I didn't answer him. How could I? Even I didn't really understand what was going on. All I knew was that George was upset, and the fault rested solely upon my shoulders. With a shake of his head, Fred melted into the crowd to search for his other half. I let Holly drag me toward the nurse's tent to check on Cedric, but my mind wasn't with me right then. I couldn't seem to focus on the task anymore, nor on the Triwizard Tournament…

Focus, Crim. He's George Weasley. He's played horrid pranks on you with his brother and friend for years. He's a _blood traitor_. Nothing that you should concern yourself with.

Then why did I feel so bad…?

Cedric wasn't injured too badly. Madam Pomfrey had applied an orange paste to the burns on the side of his face, and he swore he was feeling much better. Holly's eyes blurred with tears at his bravery, but he barely noticed. He was going on about the golden egg he had retrieved from the dragon. I sat down to listen to him, intrigued suddenly by the information he gave us.

"This is the hint to the next task," he whispered in urgent to us. "If we can crack it, we'll have a head start above the others! Will the two of you help me again?"

"Of course we will!" Holly chimed before I had even a moment to process his question. Smiling, I agreed with a nod. Ced was a dear friend, and I wanted to help him as much as I could with the Tournament. As long as I was focused on something else, I had less time to think about George and his strange behavior. That was all I needed to do: focus on helping Cedric with the Tournament and pay close attention to my studies. Then I wouldn't have any time to worry about the Weasley twins.

If only I had known sooner…about the Yule Ball.

**All right! This is a long chapter. :3 I hope you all enjoyed it! I'd love if you left a note or something to let me know. As well, don't forget to go read sango-savino's fic! Thanks again for reading. 3 TBB**


	6. The Potions Prank

**Update time! Thanks to my readers and reviewers! It makes me happy to know that you're enjoying this little fic. Honestly, I really would like it if you reviewed, though, even if just to tell me I'm butchering Harry Potter (figuratively, not literally…O.o). I'll stop chatting and get writing then! Thanks again!**

**A/N: Just borrowing the Harry Potter characters. 3**

**The Potions Prank**

The halls of the school buzzed for days about the First Task. Cedric became more and more unapproachable with each passing second. Aside from his ever growing fan club, he had an annoying amount of friends around him at all times, and we were lucky just to say hi to him. Holly, I knew, was becoming depressed as even her attempts to talk to him in their common room were thwarted by the circle of girls crowding around him every waking moment. I told her not to worry too much; eventually, his fans would give it a rest, and we would be able to talk to him and help him with the task. Hopefully we came up with better ideas this time.

Much to my joy and annoyance, Fred and George had decided to avoid me. Whatever George told Fred had been enough to deter him from even his usual pranks, which I oddly sort of missed. Now my days were predictable. There were no attempts to sabotage my potions ingredients or trick my cauldron, and none of my ingredients miraculously vanished of their own accord anymore. I never would have imagined myself thinking that I actually missed their pranks.

"Bloody twins," I muttered to myself one day when Professor Snape called attention to us after yet another normal day of class. I could barely force myself to concentrate that day, not when I could feel a set of unnerving brown eyes staring at me from across the room. If they weren't going to act normal, they should mind their own bloody business. I focused on packing up my ingredients as Professor Snape began to speak.

"As you all know, the Triwizard Tournament has a long line of traditions," he said rather boredly, as though he would rather be cleaning up troll bogies than speaking about this foul matter. "One of these traditions is the Yule Ball. For those of you lacking the ability to comprehend what that is, the Yule Ball is a dance taking place on Christmas Eve. Students over the age of fourteen may attend, and younger students are permitted to attend as well if they are invited by another student. Furthermore, as students of Hogwarts, do not lower our standards by behaving the way you normally do." As he articulated each word of his last statement, he narrowed his eyes at the twins and Lee Jordan, staring at them with the same amount of disgust that one might show in the face of the giant squid. "Dismissed."

"The Yule Ball? How exciting!" Holly stuffed her things into her bag, her cheeks glowing a brilliant shade of red. "It shall be a dream! I would so love for Cedric to ask me to go with him…" She deflated a little, glancing wistfully at the Hufflepuff in question as he packed away his books.

"You never know," I said with a shrug. Her eyes lit up, begging me to say the words she longed to hear. "He just may ask you."

Holly blushed a shade of crimson that rivaled my eyes, and she laughed with excitement. Her reaction was almost worth humoring her; that, and I would have to hear her sigh all afternoon if I didn't manage to lift her spirits somehow. "You really think so? Oh, Crim, you're the best!"

"Diggory! A word, if you don't mind." Professor Snape glared at Cedric, almost as though hoping their discussion were completed already. He beckoned the Champion to his desk and lowered his voice. Holly tried to listen, but I towed her out of the classroom with me. I may have been able to save her from detention once and awhile, but Professor Snape would not enjoy knowing that she wanted to hear their conversation.

Holly glanced back as we filed out of the room with the rest of the class, and she frowned at seeing the two of them talk. "I don't get it," she whined. "Snape usually only asks you to stay behind. You're his favorite. Why is he picking on Cedric now?" Her lower lip quivered in horror at what Professor Snape might have to say to him.

"Perhaps _Professor_ Snape has something important to say to him? It could involve the Tournament," I calmly pointed out and raised an eyebrow at her. If Holly had one thing, it was sheer imagination. As soon as she began to think, her mind went wild, and I never knew what might fly out of her mouth.

"What does Snape know that we don't? We should interrogate him! Do you know how to brew veritaserum?" She spun around as we walked, watching her cloak and bag as they danced with her.

"That takes about a month to prepare….honestly, do you not listen to _Professor_ Snape when he talks? We went over this last week in class." I caught Holly as she stumbled off course, nearly coming into contact with a nearby suit of armor. Glaring, I searched for the culprits, unsurprised to find the twins and Lee Jordan jogging down the hallway. I knew from the sound of their hushed whisper and snickering laughter that whatever they had planned wasn't good, and I sighed. I should have _known_ that the twins would be back to normal in no time, pulling pranks and causing mischief. "Oi! Don't run in the hallways! You'll hit somebody!"

Lee and Fred grinned at me over their shoulders and continued running, knowing full well that I wouldn't do anything about them. Sooner or later, I would have to punish them so they knew I meant business. Unlike his twin and Lee, George stopped walking completely and turned around. I waited for a comeback, one half of a joke that Fred would finish. When he just stared at me, my heart missed a beat then came back pounding full force in my temple. Then, stuffing his hands into his pockets, George said the last thing I ever expected to hear from him mouth.

"Will you go to the Ball with me?"

Every student in the hallway stopped walking. Even Fred and Lee had paused, their faces frozen in a moment of shock. I wasn't sure I heard him right; he had to be joking! This was _George Weasley_. Asking _me_ to the Yule Ball. The idea was preposterous to even imagine! I knew he was serious, though, from the intensity I felt from his focused gaze.

My first instinct said _yes_, but my mouth didn't move to make the words. Already, I was conscious of the whispers filling the empty spaces in the hallway. They suffocated me, gasping and giggling at the notion of George Weasley asking the Slytherin prefect to the Yule Ball. _Scandalous_. _Ridiculous_, they all said. They were right…weren't they? I couldn't think anymore, my ears filled to the brim with the whispers growing louder and louder. I clutched my hands together, feeling my chest rising and falling with my rapid breath. George, noticing my reaction, took a step closer, and I receded a step back and shook my head. I felt sick. Pursing my lips, I shook my head again, trying to ignore the stinging in my eyes and the ooze bubbling in my gut.

"No," I said quietly, my voice barely above a quiet gasp. I swallowed, forcing the tears from my eyes. George and I _couldn't_ go to the Ball together. He was a _Gryffindor_, and part of the trio that made my life a living hell. My blood was emerald green, that of a Slytherin! I couldn't….I couldn't…I _wanted_ to…

I shook my head again, this time with more vigor. "No…No!"

George's expression shifted, his eyes darkening a fraction. He glared away from me to the crowd, as though wishing he could evaporate them with just his gaze alone. Then, pained, he forced a grin and shrugged. My heart broke even more.

"Only joking," he said, trying to regain some of his humor. "After all, why would I…" His voice broke, and I thought I saw his fists shaking in her pockets. Then, shaking his head, he turned and walked down the hallway, shoving himself between Fred and Lee as they tried to speak to him. Each of them gave me an accusing, nasty glare before following George.

I stared after him, my legs shaking. I was afraid to take a step for fear that I might crumble to the floor. A hand gently took my arm, and I looked at Holly. Her expression was meek, but her eyes saw through my mask. Hastily, I wiped away an infuriating tear and turned my gaze away from her.

"I'm all right…If you're that worried, go check on Georgie."

"Georgie?" Holly repeated, raising an eyebrow. She slowly shook her head. "He has Fred and Lee to console him. Crimmy…did you make the right choice?" She peered at me closely, a hand rising to brush away an uneven curl from my cheek. I gave her a weak, breaking smile.

"I keep asking myself that as well."

I hadn't thought that my reply would have such dire reactions, either. In fact, the twins remained quiet for the following week, ignoring my existence once again. I tried my best to avoid them, mostly because George would give me this intent stare every time I accidentally met his gaze. Could he read into my soul? I wondered if he knew just how much I wanted to accept his proposal. Regret cut my insides like a knife, punishing me for lying to myself and for hurting him.

And pay for it…I did.

Potions came again before I knew it. My heart wasn't into the potion we were making, which didn't really make any difference to me. We were practicing a common potion, one that we'd made before, and I could have brewed it in my sleep. So I stared at the thick liquid as I added ingredient after ingredient mechanically, half-listening to Holly prattle on.

"This morning—Crim, listen, I said, this morning, Cedric pulled me away from everyone in the common room!" Holly didn't honestly have any room to be distracted in class, but I noticed that she took care with each ingredient that she placed in her cauldron and followed each line of direction specifically. "Do you want to know what he asked me?"

"Sure," I replied, flipping the page in my of my potions book unenthusiastically. This potion would be on the exam…why couldn't I manage to concentrate? My eyes kept flickering furtively over to the table where the twins were focused on their potions. For once, George wasn't staring at me. In fact, he had been making it his personal mission to avoid me at all costs—that is, after he discovered his staring wasn't working.

"Crim, you aren't listening to me at all! I said, _Cedric asked me to the Yule Ball_!"

"What?" That caught my attention. Holly gave me a very self-satisfied smile, her cheeks blushing to a pleasant rosy shade. I felt my lips break out into a grin. "That's wonderful, Holly! When did he ask you?"

"You _weren't_ paying attention!" She pursed her lips, but her excitement got the better of her. "Like I said, he asked me this morning in the common room. At first, I told him no, but—"

"You told him no!" I poked her with my wand, completely revolted by the absurd idea. "What are you, a bloody idiot? You've been in love with him for ages!"

"Let me finish!" Holly stirred her potion anti-clockwise, her chin raised high in the air. "I _tried_ to tell him no—after all, he _is_ Cedric Diggory. He told me he wouldn't listen to it, though… He said that he was taking me to the ball because he…he likes me. I don't treat him differently because he's a Triwizard Champion…He really appreciates that."

I smiled to myself as she went on telling me what all Cedric had said to her before she finally agreed to go with the poor bloke. Absently, I stirred my potion, my eyes reflected in the clear liquid. Now, I was the only one without a date to the Yule Ball. What more did I expect? Only ignorant trolls like Flint even thought to ask me out after word spread about what I did to George Weasley. To be honest, I didn't really _want _a date. Why lie to myself? I didn't want to go to the ball with anyone if it wasn't…

"I can't get my burner to work!" Holly wailed suddenly, waving her hands around in panic. She peeked at the side of her cauldron, biting her lip, then returned to her flailing. I glanced at the liquid in my cauldron as it began to bubble before glancing at her. My potion should be fine for a moment…After all, Holly was trying her best today. All her hard work would be for nothing if she didn't heat her potion within the right time period. If I left her to her devices, the situation could only end in a spill and detention.

"Don't touch," I said to her, frowning as she poked at her burner with her wand. Cautiously, I scooted over to her work area to examine the burner. Squinting a little, I noticed a strange type of glittery powder. My frown increased. This looked like a prank to me, and there were only two culprits I could think of that might prank Holly. This was probably another one of their blasted inventions.

"Holly, lift your cauldron, please."

She performed the levitating charm, and the heavy cauldron rose from the burner. Immediately, the powder combusted, cloaking us in a small cloud of darkness and smoke. Holly squeaked, her wand wavering, and some of her potion splashed over the edge. I tried to move back in time, but the hot liquid hit my hand. I stumbled back, cradling my wrist as tears burned in my eyes as intensely as the potion stung my skin.

"Bloody hell!"

"Crim, I'm so sorry!" Holly's eyes widened in horror, and she dropped the cauldron onto the desk with a loud _thunk_ that caught the attention of the class. She whipped her head around, ponytail flapping. "Professor? Professor Snape!"

Professor Snape was already on his way to our table, his lips curling at the thought of punishment. However, the moment he heard her tone, he picked up his pace. By the time he reached our table, the skin on my left hand and wrist had changed to a sickening grey, and I felt ill. He tenderly took the hand in his own, examining it, and I covered my mouth with my free palm. I couldn't seem to stop the tremors controlling my shoulders while I suppressed the sobs building up in my chest. The pain was _unbearable_. I wanted to kick, scream. Die.

"Class is dismissed!" Professor Snape barked nastily at the rest of the class. Holly scrambled beside him, rapidly explaining everything that had happened, but I couldn't make out anything she was saying. "Miss Ice, will you please stop your incessant babbling? Miss Rehfate must be taken immediately to the Hospital Wing before any damage is done."

"Damage!" Holly bawled, covering her face with her hands. Of all the words he could have said, he chose the ones that would make her panic even more. "Oh, this is _all_ my fault! I'm _so sorry_, Crim!"

"It hurts!" I whispered, my voice barely holding any volume at all. I swallowed one sob only to find another one choking me in its place. "Make it stop, please! Please, Professor Snape!"

Professor Snape's expression darkened as he cast a glare at the glittering residue left behind on Holly's burner. "The moment I find out who is behind this, they will have detention for the remainder of the term," he muttered evilly to the remaining students, his cold eyes focusing on the twins and Lee Jordan. Fred was looking horrified, Lee speechless. George, however, was beside himself. He stood up, rushing forward.

"What the bloody hell was that! Is she all right?" He tried to get past Professor Snape as Holly pushed me toward the door. I could still hear him trying to get past our teacher, who was collectedly telling George to stand down. I gingerly held my wrist to my chest, wishing George would she the hell up. Why did he give a damn now? For all I knew…for all I knew, they were behind this prank. Payback, for turning George down. I threw George a glare over my shoulder, and all of his yelling ceased at my expression. He watched me, betrayed, as Holly and Professor Snape ushered me out of the room.

Madam Pomfrey made me stay overnight in the Hospital Wing, which I felt was rather pointless. After she applied the ointment and wrapped my hand and wrist up to my elbow, the pain stopped entirely, and I wanted to _get out of there_. The longer I stayed, the more I had to listen to Holly panic and the more time I had to think. With each thought, I felt a measure of hatred for the Weasley twins. They were out of line with that prank. Aiming for Holly and instead hurting me…

At least I could still write. I worked on homework while I rested my left hand until Madam Pomfrey turned out my light. Even after that, I settled into the darkness, my eyes tracing the ceiling over and over again. My mind roamed until sleep was impossible; all I could think about was getting Fred and George back for their stupid prank. If I had anything to do with it, they would pay just as dearly as I had.

By morning, Madam Pomfrey still was not pleased with the state of my hand, but she released me with the orders to regularly apply the ointment and to keep the area bandaged. I skipped lunch, aiming instead for the library. I wanted my privacy now that I had my freedom, and I knew what I would hear if I went to the Great Hall. They would all be talking about the incident, whispering again. Those damned whispers were what caused the mess in the first place, as far as I was concerned.

"I _knew_ you would be here." Holly leaned against the bookshelf as I leafed through a pleasurably large volume about various and difficult potions. I glanced at her over the top of the book, unsurprised to find her close to tears. "You could have at least let me know that you were out of the Hospital Wing, you know! I was worried about you!"

"I needed some space," I replied coolly, closing the book. "Honestly, I was fine last night. Didn't you think that I would be just as fine today, if not better?"

"I don't care! Let me know next time you decide to vanish without telling me!" Her voice grew higher with each word, her tears tumbling along her cheeks by now.

"Rehfate! Ice! Be quiet over there!" Madam Pince snapped irritably, narrowing her eyes at us before she whisked off to another row of books. Holly watched her leave, sneering disrespectfully at the librarian before she turned her heavy pout back on me. Holly always was emotional, but this was a bit much, even for her.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Holly, I didn't vanish. I went to the one place that I knew you would find me! Understand? I'm just not ready to hear the school's opinion yet…I can't handle it at the moment. Not after yesterday. Not knowing that they…" I glanced away, a fresh sting pinching in my heart. "I don't want to talk about it yet."

"So you _do_ think we did it."

My breath caught in my throat, and I spun immediately around. The twins had just walked down our aisle, and each had his arms crossed. Fred's lips were pressed into a thin line, his head shaking slightly in disbelief at the accusation. George, on the other hand, was absolutely livid. He walked over to me, took the book, and glared down into my eyes.

"Leave her alone!" Holly began to say, but he cut her off instantly.

"Shut the bloody hell up! This is between her and me." He glanced down at my wrist, swallowing. "…Did you get hurt?"

"Oh, now you care?" I tried to take the book from him, but he held it out of my reach. "Give that back!"

George ignored me. "I cared yesterday. You didn't give me a chance to see if you were all right! You pointed the finger at us right off the bat!" he accused, a storm brewing in his furious gaze.

"Oi, we didn't do it, by the way," Fred added. "Wouldn't even think about it, as a matter of fact."

"I find that hard to believe," I spat, allowing as much venom sink into my voice as possible. "Pranking _is_ your specialty, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but we didn't do it," Fred repeated with a groan. "We'd never hurt you, Crim!"

"Be quiet, or I'll have you all thrown out of the library!" Madam Pince hissed at us as she passed, her eyes as nasty as Professor Snape's could be. I snatched my book away from George and headed for the next case of books, Holly loyally tailing me. The two of them followed as well, testing my patience.

"Leave me alone," I growled at them, taking care to keep my voice low.

"Not until you listen to us," George replied blatantly, blocking my path. "We didn't prank you yesterday. It's not our style! You know that."

"Yeah, we want you to know when we prank you," Fred agreed with a nod. "Hiding our prank under a cauldron is beneath us."

"I know the two of you had something to do with it." I crossed my arms, tapping my bandaged fingers against my arm. "What was that glittery stuff that was stuck to Holly's burner? Don't try to lie to me. I know that it's one of your inventions."

"Instant Darkness Powder," George said. "We haven't quite got it right—"

"We reckon we need to import the right powder from Peru, but we haven't the galleons yet to pay for the shipment," finished Fred thoughtfully. "Nobody should have known about the Instant Darkness Powder yet."

"We haven't even tested it."

"Only the two of us know about it." Fred shifted, eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, we thought only the two of us knew about it."

"So you're trying to frame somebody else?" Holly was close to tears again, and her voice was beginning to squeak with the beginnings of a healthy sob. "Don't you realize that Crim almost lost her hand? If not for Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey, she might have…" Holly couldn't finish. She turned away, attempting to conceal her cries.

"I expect Madam Pomfrey will have her hands full right about now," muttered George. I noticed an emotion in his eyes that I didn't recognize, an emotion that frightened me. He reminded me of the dragons that the Champions faced only days ago—feral, angry, and dangerous.

"What did you do now?" I scoffed, pursing my lips.

"Now?" George spat back, stepping closer to me. I myself took a step back, which he countered with another closer. "_Now_, we put the bloke in the Hospital Wing who did this to you."

"Who?" I demanded, gritting my teeth. I might as well let my curiosity get the better of me. I found myself a little unable to breathe the closer George got, his intensity thickening the air around us.

"Lee," Fred replied. "He wanted to get back at you for turning George down. He thought that it was only fair that he target your best friend since you hurt his. He never meant for anyone to be injured, but we weren't too keen on listening after he spilled the beans." Each word sounded delicate and malicious coming from Fred, as though the very notion of his friend's actions rekindled his positive rage.

I swallowed, realization bubbling in my stomach like a failed potion. When I spoke, my voice was a whisper. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing severe," George bitterly promised.

"Just a little something we learned from dear old Professor Lockhart during a Quidditch match," Fred added with a wicked grin.

"He won't be moving _his_ left hand for a while."

"Come to think of it, he can't, can he? He'll think twice before doing that again…otherwise we'll do more than take away some important bones."

"Do you believe us now?" George's intent gaze bore into mine, willing me, begging me to believe them. The sad thing was that I _did_ believe them. They hadn't pulled the prank with the intentions of hurting me. Georgie couldn't mask a lie like that. I felt a fresh stab of anger, though, at the idea of what they had done.

"That was uncalled for! You could be expelled!" I shoved George away, my voice rising. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care if Madam Pince banned me from the library. I didn't care if I received detention! This was getting out of hand between us, and it had to _stop_! "None of this should have happened. Why don't the two of you stay on your side of the Great Hall and leave me the bloody hell alone? Whatever happened to _nothing personal_!"

From across the library: "BE QUIET!"

George shoved me against the bookcase, his mouth capturing mine. I couldn't fight him, couldn't even try to resist. The spines of old and worn books scraped into my back, no doubt rubbing my back raw, but my mind spun in far too many directions to care. Georgie _knew_ how to strip away every ounce of my being with his lips alone. He tore down every wall, every door I shut against him, leaving me bare and raw with swollen lips. His brown eyes stared into mine, anguish and pain and absolute love burning within them.

"It's always been bloody personal," he murmured, voice broken and spirit shattered. He let me go, and I slumped against the bookcase for support. George left us standing there, all three of us gaping at him as he stormed toward the exit. I wanted nothing more than to chase after him, but my legs just wouldn't seem to work. I was weak, George having taken all of my energy. My lips still tingled from his powerful kiss, aching for more.

If there was one thing I knew…that day, the fragile line we had been treading since our first night in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…had finally broken.

**Whew! This chapter came out much more intense than I had originally anticipated…but I rather enjoy it! I hope it's only going to get better from here on out….and I hope to get another chapter out soon! Sorry this one took a little long. I wanted my head to be in a certain place for this. 3 Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Not Enough

**Okay….it's been ages since I updated! Sorry about that. With work and school and more work and more school, I haven't had much time to work on updating Fanfic…I'll try harder now. I promise! I've been really excited about writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thank you to everyone who's been reading, and definitely thank you to those who have reviewed. The more reviews I get, the more likely I am to update. Then I know I'm doing something right. Also, if you haven't, go check out my sister's partner fic in Holly's POV, Nothing Pers-HOLLY! It's wonderful.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend for her birthday. 3 Hope you love it as much as I do, Shin-chan!**

**A/N: Really…if I owned Harry Potter or any piece of the franchise, there are a few choice characters that would still be living. Just sayin'.**

**Not Enough**

I felt sick. Not just sick, either. I felt like a right, foul git.

Georgie was avoiding me. That much I knew for certain. After our kiss in the library, he refused to meet my gaze in the hallways and managed to escape during my various attempts to talk to him. For six years, I had wished every day and night that George and his twin would just leave me alone. It wasn't until my wish had come true that I wanted to take it back.

I should have kissed back instead of being a bloody idiot. If I didn't kiss him back, then I should have at least went after him when I could walk properly again. Before following his twin, Fred had glared at me with all the fury of the world, his eyes, so identical to Georgie's, yelling at me to chase down his twin and tell him the truth.

Bloody hell. I couldn't pay any attention to any class other than Potions up until the end of term. I listened to chatter about the First Task drain into gossip about the Yule Ball. Everyone wanted to know who was going with whom, and I just wanted them all to shut up. The castle was beginning to look truly festive. Glittering icicles adorned the banisters of the marble staircase, and I doubted the twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall could hold any more wondrous decorations. Despite the glorious attire Hogwarts was now decked in and the excited whispers all through the halls, I couldn't seem to get into the spirit of the holidays.

As usual, I was always a little sad when term ended the week before Christmas. I would miss Potions, of course, but now I seemed to run into the twins everywhere I looked. They were back in spirits, selling their new Canary Creams, and everywhere I looked, another student was shedding feathers. I didn't have the heart to yell at them for it. To be honest, I just didn't want to talk to them at all. I spent most of my time in the library or finding a spot on the snowy grounds to sit and read a book. When the snow became too much for me, I just nestled myself in a chair in the library, keenly avoiding that bookcase where Georgie had kissed me.

I didn't spend much time talking to Holly after term ended. She spent much of her time panicking over our end of term exams and the fact that she and Cedric would begin the first dance of the Yule Ball. I did my best to reassure her, but Holly, in this state, was incapable of listening to reason. While I spent my hours in the library reading Moste Potente Potions, which Professor Snape had allowed me to check out so I could read up on the Polyjuice Potion. I held the book close to me, having read the advanced potions many times before. I might as well have bought a copy for myself; not that I would ever use any of the gruesome potions, that is. I memorized the difficult instructions, losing myself in visions of ingredients and stirring, until Madam Pince came over and told me to get some rest or that Holly had brought me another pack of fudge flies that got loose down the Charms Section.

Today, however, she brought me a small, thin package. I accepted, frowning; the wrapping wasn't incredibly neat and tidy like I knew Holly's would be, so it couldn't be from her. Madam Pince tapped her foot, a small curl of her lips forming a tight frown.

"Don't look at me like that," she muttered, a bit annoyed. "I have better things to be doing than playing owl." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away from me; I could still hear her shoes as she rounded the corner, disappearing behind a bookcase.

I sighed; if this was some other stupid trinket from Marcus Flint, I would be poisoning his pumpkin juice with one of the twin's various concoctions. After all, they sold regularly to Holly, who, when asked why she bought so much candy she never planned on using, just "couldn't say no." Then, she would proceed to claim that she could never be too sure; one never knows when they'll need to spontaneously burst into feathers. I told her that was utter bollocks, but the conversation ended there. I wouldn't talk about the Weasley twins more than absolutely necessary.

Warily, I unwrapped the parcel, and my gasp caught in my throat. I tenderly picked up the vibrant red quill, my heart missing a beat. The feathers were a brilliant scarlet, as deep and rich as my eyes, and I knew without a doubt that it was a phoenix-feather quill. I turned it over in my hands once then twice, marveling, and noticed the faint golden inscription upon the calamus, my name in fancy calligraphy. I smiled faintly to myself in awe. The quill must have been incredibly expensive…but who sent it? I picked up the paper, frowning to myself when I didn't find any writing, apart from the words "Merry Christmas." Holly didn't have that kind of money, and Flint wouldn't even know what my wand core was. This was somebody who knew me well enough yet not want me to know he were behind it. Swallowing, I ran my fingers over the quill.

I knew exactly what I had to do.

I hadn't planned on going to the Yule Ball. Despite Holly's persistent pleas, I just didn't want to see George dancing with somebody else. According to her, he hadn't found a partner, but I couldn't be positive he didn't ask a girl to go with him at the last minute. On Christmas Eve morning at breakfast, I told Holly I would meet her by the Hufflepuff common room to walk with her to the Great Hall, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"What made you change your mind? Did you find a date? Where did that pretty quill come from?" She skipped alongside me to the door of the Hall, her smile nearly blinding me. I paused, put my hands on her shoulders, and offered her a vague smile.

"Just be ready before eight. I'll see you then." Honestly, she just couldn't be happy about something; she had to ask a dozen or so questions before she would be satisfied. I loved her to death, but I had a lot of bloody work to get done.

I thought about straightening my length curls but decided against it. That would take too much time. By now, the butterflies in my stomach had changed into Cornish Pixies, and I felt as sick as a dog. So much about this could go incredibly wrong. Taming my nerves, I pinned my hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon and a crimson snitch charm. With a wave of my wand, I added a few silky strands of green glitter to the thick layers, leaving a few strands of green and brown tendrils to caress my shoulders.

The dress I chose to wear was snowy white. The bodice, held up by a strap around my neck, contained a pattern of olive leaves curling from one breast to the other. A band wrapped around my waist, another red snitch pendant dangling with a two green ribbons dancing down from it. From the waistband, a soft layer of lace, the flounces flowing downward to the length of the silky skirt, decorated with its own vine of olive leaves. The gloves I chose, mitts that reached my elbows, also shared the same crown of vines, vibrant green against the ivory background.

After I finished dressing and added some lovely green eye shadow, I stared at my mirror, my nerves running rampant again. I took a deep breath, to no avail. My slippers, glittering white like my dress, made no sound as I turned away and let my feet carry me to the door to the common room. Most of my fellow Slytherins had already left, leaving me to follow in their wake. I traced the path to the Hufflepuff common room from memory, my mind elsewhere. I found myself distracted with the Christmas decorations while I waited for her, seeing and not seeing them.

"I'm here! I'm here!" I listened to Holly scramble hurriedly out of the Hufflepuff common room. I lightly rolled my eyes, smiling a little. Leave it up to her to be rushing the final moments before the ball.

"You'd better hurry up. Otherwise, Ced will have that starved puppy dog look when he thinks you stood him up." Then I heard her stomp over to me, panting, and I looked at her fully for the first time.

I almost didn't recognize my best friend. Her hair, normally a mess in a ponytail, had been parted into two wavy hanks on her shoulders, held by pins glistening with pieces of holly that matched her earrings. Her dress was white and brown, the silvery bodice decorated with a small arc of holly berries. The ruffled skirt of the dress danced around her knees, a wonderful, milky shade of chocolate, and the sleeves that left her shoulders exposed were of the same shade. A brown ribbon wrapped around her waist, decorating her hip with a cluster of holly. Always around her neck, hoisted this time by a golden ribbon the signature shade of Hufflepuff, dangled the key to her diary, nestled comfortably against her skin like a permanent ornament.

She rested her hands on her hips, a pout forming on her glossed lips. "You're so mean, Crim!" She waited a moment, eager and flustered, before she bit her lower lip and began to fiddle with the key nervously. "Do I look all right? I mean…I don't like leaving my shoulders uncovered…I feel naked." She laughed, a little high pitched, and waited anxiously. Smiling, I gave her a gentle hug and touched her curls.

"You look wonderful, Holly. Cedric won't recognize you when he sees you." I looped my arm through her arm, steering her in the direction of the Great Hall. We joined the crowds of students who were laughing in excitement, and I pulled us through much of the mass. My job was to get her to her champion, whether I had to jinx a few people in order to or not.

"He won't recognize me?!" She sounded positively horrified about that. "What if he takes the arm of some other girl thinking she's me?!"

"Well, unless she's an absolute ditz who can't form a complete sentence in his company, then you should be safe." I cast a glance to her feet, grinning. "Good job on not wearing heels, by the way. You might not fall as much as you expected you will."

"Oh, no!" She wailed, her eyes wide. "He's taking one of the Beauxbatons girls instead of me?"

"Bloody hell, Holly! Calm down before I sedate you and stuff you in the closet. I'm going to be too worried about you to enjoy myself." I shook my head, laughing, and she warily glared at me. Then, remembering, she dashed in front of me.

"Wait a moment, Crim." She looked me over, top to bottom, and nodded to herself. "You look nice tonight."

"Well done, Holly. You've ascertained I look nice for the Yule Ball. Would you like a chocolate frog for your troubles?" I rolled to my hips, my fists resting in the crooks of my waist. "Can we keep moving now? You're going to get yelled at for being late."

"For someone who was completely against this ball, you sure prettied yourself up." Holly knowingly smiled, a delicate eyebrow raised. "Who are you planning to meet? Are you going to look for Georgie?" Ever since I called him that, Holly hadn't let his nickname go, and I felt a sharp stab in my chest each time she used it. Especially now. I felt my cheeks burn, and I shifted a little and fidgeted.

"That's a fairly large assumption, Holly. Why don't you worry more about your Triwizard Champion boyfriend instead of my personal life?"

"He's not my boyfriend, and I'm right, aren't I? You're going to look for Georgie! How exciting. I want to see his face when he sees you!" She grabbed my hands in hers, prepared to bombard me with more questions, but her array was cut promptly short.

"There you are, Holly! McGonagall is waiting for us." Cedric wrapped his arm around her, steering her away from me. I had never been so happy to see him in all my life. I breathed a sigh of relief when Holly froze entirely, her face as red as the Gryffindor crest, and Cedric laughed. He looked handsome in his dress robes, his hair combed and his smile brilliant. I thought I could hear Holly's breath leave her just at the sight of him.

"She's all yours," I said gently, shooing them away with a wave of my hands. Cedric gave me a thankful smile and a nod of appreciation as he steered her away. Holly glanced over long enough to whisper, "He recognized me!" before they disappeared into the crowd.

I waved a little, my chest hurting. My little Hufflepuff was all grown up. I couldn't have been more proud.

Now, it was my turn.

Following the rest of the three schools into the Great Hall, I scanned the tops of heads around me, searching for those two familiar sets of red hair. It didn't take long to find them; they stood in the circle forming around the dance floor, their heads pressed together, their shoulders shaking in silent snickers. I stopped behind them, my hands on my hips. When they didn't notice me, I cleared my throat, and the two of them spun around, grinning like guilty children caught peeking at their Christmas presents early until they saw it was me. George's eyes widened in shock, those brown orbs scanning me once, twice, and then again in a matter of seconds. Fred frowned, not as appreciating, and waited for me to drop the dung bomb.

"Something the matter, Rehfate?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation light. When George didn't add to his statement, Fred continued, "Or did you just want to announce your presence amongst the lesser folk?"

"Don't you have a girl you brought to the ball, Freddie? I would find her before she finds a better arm to hold on to. Unless you're trying to lose her, of course. Then you would be doing a good job. That's her, isn't it, over by the punch bowl with that Durmstrang boy? Angelina Johnson, right?" I peered over to the girl in question, who was narrowly trying to evade the student from Durmstrang.

Fred paused a moment, glancing from me to his date. I gave him a faint smile and a small nod of encouragement, hoping he understood. He looked to his brother, who hadn't spoken or breathed since he spotted me, and took a breath. I needed to talk to Georgie, handsome Georgie with his hair combed back and his dress robes, less fancy than Ced's had been but still perfect for him. Fred got the hint and nodded to me, a warning look in his eyes as he dashed off to retrieve his date from the clutches of the Durmstrang boy.

"Hello, Georgie." He swallowed, smiling a little, and nodded in greeting. I took a step closer to him, and he watched me, as enamored with me as I was with him. Smiling a little, I reached up to adjust his tie, a nervous smile on my lips. "You look nice."

"You look—" He shook his head a little, a small laugh leaving him, and he watched me fix his tie. "Where did Fred go?"

"I don't care," I replied quietly, and I felt my pulse picking up. It was now or never. I swallowed my fear, took a deep breath, and continued with what I wanted to say to him. "I'd like to thank you."

"For what?" He was grinning now, as though he somehow understood something now that I didn't.

"The phoenix-feather quill, of course."

"Oh? You think I sent you that?"

"I know you did," I replied, wishing my voice wasn't so shaky. "Nobody else aside from you, your brother, and Holly at this school know the core of my wand."

He raised an eyebrow. "Maybe an admirer just wanted to give you an expensive gift?"

"Maybe my admirer is right in front of me. Why didn't you give it to me yourself?"

The muscle in George's jaw tightened, and he broke the eye contact he had been so keen on keeping. "I didn't think you wanted to see me, Crim. We didn't exactly part on good terms, you know."

"We never part on good terms, Georgie. That's no excuse. So, in my opinion, you owe me for being such a bloody chicken." I nodded, raising my chin, hoping my determination didn't fail me.

"Now, wait a minute, Crim. Owe you? Do you know how much that quill cost me?"

"I'm glad you agree." George scoffed, rolling his eyes, and glared at me. I took a deep breath and forced the words out of me as quickly as I could. "I think you owe me a dance."

George stiffened a little, staring at me. I waited for more of his reaction, my heart pounding in my chest, and I wished he would bloody get on with it already. If he wanted to reject me, I would rather he just said it so I could crawl into the crowd and drink away my sorrows in butterbeer. I brought it upon myself, after all. I turned him away and turn him down time and time again. Why would he still want anything to do with me after the way I treated him?

"All right," he muttered quietly, his teeth clenched. "All right, you've got a deal. One condition, though, Crim. If you don't agree to this, then we're better off parting now."

My breath picked up, racing with my heart; steeling myself, I raised an eyebrow. "Fine. What are your conditions?" I could only imagine what Georgie might come up with. I expected him to ask me to allow them to sell their silly contraptions without the threat of detention. After all, I was the only prefect with the guts enough to make them think twice. His conditions, however, were not ones I expected.

"For tonight…just one bloody night…forget you're a Slytherin, and forget I'm a Gryffindor. You're Crimson, and I'm George. That's it. Deal?" His eyes bore into mine, willing me, pleading me to agree. Pleading me to be his, just for one night.

Just for one night, I could agree to that.

Georgie pulled me out onto the dance floor just as the waltz started, and we joined the other couples in the smooth tempo. I thought I heard whispers and felt stares, but I had eyes only for my Georgie. He took me in his arms, treating me like I was worth more than I was; I never felt like I belonged anywhere more than I did with him, and I would have given my wand to prolong the night. Dance after dance, we stayed together. George didn't let me go for even a moment longer than necessary, and I didn't have a problem with that. I liked being with him and couldn't believe I almost forgot what his company felt like.

So I didn't fight him when he wrapped his palm around mine, his gaze intent and grinning, and pulled me out of the dance hall. He guided me down the front steps and out into the rose garden, pulling me close to keep me warm from the chill. I rested my head on his shoulder, my heart pounding for the thousandth time that night; this time, my reason was healthy. He smiled as I pointed out the reindeer fountain, pausing in our walking to look at me. I held his gaze, blushing, and tugged him toward a clump of unoccupied bushes clouded in shadow. He blindly followed me, still watching me with an endearing gaze, until I had him completely to myself.

"You're George," I whispered. "My Georgie." I waited for his nod, his hands sliding along my waist. I swallowed, trying to ignore the furious drum in my head. "You're Georgie, and I'm Crim. Nothing more." He nodded again, turning his head to kiss my palm as I brushed a stray strand of hair from his cheek. I slipped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer until I could no longer feel where he ended and I began.

Before when he kissed me, George had been urgent, upset, angry. Now, he kissed me as though I was his first drink of pumpkin juice after a Quidditch game, held me like he would never let go. I was able to kiss him back this time and not restrain myself, which only encouraged him to kiss me harder. His tongue licked my lip, and I made him work for entrance. A battle began that I had no chance of winning at all, and he ravaged every angle of my mouth as the prize.

I never wanted him to stop.

He did, though, honorably escort me back to the dance, my hair no longer held up but free on my shoulders, his dress robes more than a little disheveled. He caught Fred's eye, a look of regret coming over his countenance, and I knew they had something they needed to do. I took his hand, turning him to face me. I saw the torture in his eyes, and I wanted to make this break a little easier for him. After all, this was mostly my fault.

"Thank you for tonight. It was…more magical than I ever could have imagined." I gripped his fingers, rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb. He gave me a faint smile, unable to speak, and I continued. "Also...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did before, and I only hurt both of us."

"Crim." George leaned down, pressing his lips to my temple and hesitating. I breathed in his scent, trying to memorize exactly what he smelled like. I could pick out the familiar smells of home mixed with his cologne, never wanting to forget the mixture. "It's all right. I can't say I understand why you insist on being a complete sod all the time, but I'm glad you forgot what a bloody idiot you are for tonight."

I laughed, my voice breaking, and I cupped his neck in my free hand. " 'Nothing personal' will never apply to us again, will it?"

He pulled away, grinning, and tapped my nose. "Nothing personal, Rehfate…but yes, it will." Then, he let me go, and I watched him walk over to his twin, mutter something, and disappear into the groups of people. I glanced at the clock, suddenly colder than I was initially.

I would talk to Holly tomorrow. She certainly had a load of juicy details to tell me, but I couldn't listen to her tonight. I felt tired, drained, weak, as though George had taken the energy right out of me with each kiss behind that rose bush. I walked to the common room, narrowly avoiding the chatter and excitement left over from the ball. I couldn't deal with them tonight either. I just wanted to sleep and pretend I really could forget who I was.

One thing was for certain. I traced my lips with my fingers, my mouth still tingling and slightly swollen. George had put me in a high, which I wasn't prepared to come down from yet. Not yet.

So, the next morning, I walked the same road to the Great Hall that I had walked for six years. I entered the Hall, magically cleaned from the previous night, greeted by the Christmas Morning chatter left over from the ball. I glanced to the table where Holly and Cedric waited for me. My best friend met my gaze, her hand in Ced's, and she waved in greeting. Slowly, I shifted my eyes to the Gryffindor table. Fred and George were by themselves, their heads together, whispering. Spotting me, Georgie looked up, confused and teasing and adoring all in the same expression. Between the two tables, only one of them looked appealing.

Holly stood up, waving her arm for my attention, and I gave it to her. She clasped her key in her hands, her grin happy and encouraging. She nodded to me, understanding what I didn't, and that was all I needed. I turned away from the Slytherin table, walking the long path to the other side of the Great Hall. George stood up, his arms crossed, that quirk of his eyebrow adding to the grin that was forming.

"You got a problem, Rehfate?" Freddie asked, also grinning from his seat at the table.

"We're not doing anything wrong," George added, his body naturally shifting closer to mine.

"Yeah, I've a problem," I replied breathlessly, nodding. "One bloody night isn't enough." I wrapped my arms around him, spotting his smile in time before I kissed him. That smile broke away all my worries and lit the Great Hall more than the Christmas lights did. Only when Fred cleared his throat did he break away from me, his arm snaking around me to ensure I didn't get away.

"Oi, Crim! You're fraternizing with the enemy. You sure you're comfortable with this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me that almost made his expression as priceless as Georgie's. I nodded intently in response, a little shaking and completely happy. I was back in his arms, where I belonged, and I would fight my place there.

"If you've got a spot for a former prankster, that is."

George kissed my temple with relief, unable to stop smiling. "Does this mean we'll get stuck with your silly best friend and her chiseled companion?"

"Most likely," I answered with a nod.

"What do you think, Fred?"

"I think we've got our partner back." Freddie winked at me and crossed his arms. "Now we'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"Don't forget, I'm still a prefect," I mumbled as George pulled me into a seat with him. I rested against him, relaxing for the first time in what felt like ages. "We can't get too out of hand."

"Then leave the badge in the common room," George whispered in my ear, grinning devilishly, and kissed my neck.

I didn't care what the bloody hell he tried to tell me. 'Nothing personal' would never apply to us again. Not if I had anything to say about it. There were some lines that weren't meant to be crossed…and others that were drawn just for that purpose. I liked to think I obliterated the latter, but I knew, as long as we remained at Hogwarts, something would try to rip me away from my Georgie.

After all, the Triwizard Tournament wasn't over yet. In fact, it and the second half of our sixth year were just beginning.

**That's all for now…I hope you enjoyed it! I loved writing it, that's for sure. If you liked it, drop a word or something to let me know. I'm still a little worried most of my readers don't like this. I'll work on the next chapter as I can; I'm far from done. 3 Another shout out to Shin-chan for her birthday! Until next time, dearies.**


	8. What You'll Sorely Miss

**I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I've been completely shunning this fic, and I'll try to not let it happen again. Writer's block is just, you know…rude. I'll do my best to update more often, and thank you in advance so much to those that have stuck around with this fic. It means a great deal to me. **

**Again, please try out sango-savino's partner fic, Nothing Pers—HOLLY! My best friend is really a fantastic writer who needs the positive feedback. 3 **

**A/N: You get the drift. They aren't mine.**

**Chapter Eight—What You'll Sorely Miss**

Life at Hogwarts changed dramatically after the Yule Ball for what I liked to believe was for the better. I dedicated my free time to Georgie, and he demanded nothing less. Holly and Ced did end up joining us at the Gryffindor table, a spot by the door the five of us claimed for ourselves. My fellow Slytherin believed I had betrayed them and spent the majority of their time and energy shunning me for the most part. I slept in the library more often than not, studying for Potions with Georgie's head in my lap. He liked when I read to him, swore it was the easiest way to get him to go to sleep, and Advanced Potions put him to sleep the best.

I was far more afraid to face Professor Snape than my Slytherin housemates. I thought for sure he would give me the look Holly always received when she walked through his door. _Trouble,_ those eyes would say. I waited for the glare—or at least a lecture when he called me to his office over the break. Instead, he handed me an old Potions book that he thought would help me with my studies. On my way out, though, he did give me some parting advice.

"Don't let Weasley affect your Potions abilities, Rehfate. I expect you on time and at your best for my class. On your way now."

As holiday came to a closing, Holly began her typical panic over finishing her homework. She'd spent too much time with Cedric, supposedly helping him figure out a way to solve the egg from the first task, but I knew better the moment I saw her disheveled hair and heard her hysterical denial.

"We haven't been snogging in the prefect's bathroom! I swear! Swear on my mum's life!" she prattled on as she followed me around the library. Fred and George were off causing general mayhem for Filch, so I took the time to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Moody had been a little distracted as of late, but his quizzes were as brutal as a hippogriff.

"Holly, I didn't say anything. Honestly, what you and Ced do in your free time is none of my business. Although, snogging in the prefect's bathroom? I can't imagine that's all the two of you have been up to." I triumphantly grinned as she deflated and began to babble in a foreign language I could only assume came from her own invention. "Relax. We're sixth years now, Holly."

"W-well, who are you to talk? What have you and Georgie been up to, sneaking off onto the grounds or disappearing into empty classrooms?"

"Are you my mummy?" When she gave a confused shake of her head, I flicked her on the nose. "Then mind your own bloody business, mate."

Holly chased after me as I headed out of the library, careful not to catch Madam Pince's irritated eye. She never minded how much time I spent in the library; her problem came when one of my friends followed me in as well. I couldn't blame her much; Holly was anything but quiet, and I couldn't quite guess how many times the twins nearly knocked over a bookshelf just to see what would happen.

"What do you think Ced should do for the second task? I'm no rookie when it comes to swimming, but holding my breath for an hour would be a bit impossible," Holly chimed, our previous conversation gone with the musty, crisp smell of the library.

"Tell me the riddle again." I dropped my books into my bag as we turned toward the Great Hall.

"_Come seeks us where our voices sound—"_

"The Black Lake. That's easy. Obviously merpeople."

"Are you going to interrupt me the entire time I try to recite this?"

"Probably. Continue."

"_And while you're searching, ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took—"_

I paused, thinking, and tossed her an annoyed glance. "Just out of curiosity, have the two of you given this task any serious thought? Any at all?"

"Of course we have! We've been working day and night to figure out what to use! You're on your way to becoming a Potions Master like Professor Snape, so I thought maybe you would know of a potion or something that would, I don't know, make Cedric sprout gills and be able to breathe under water for an hour?"

"How much attention do you actually give in Professor Snape's class? Honestly, I don't know what to do with you sometimes. We just talked about gillyweed before holiday. I wouldn't recommend it, though. What you need right now is somebody good at Charms, you bloody idiot."

"I'm best at Charms," she mumbled sheepishly. "How about telling me what I should already know, then?"

"Bubble-Head Charm," I replied with a smile. I saw the lights go on in her head, and her lips broke out into a huge grin.

"Bubble-Head Charm!" She bounced excitedly, her key jumping up and hitting her on the nose. She squeaked, rubbed her nose, and darted off down the hallway. "I have to go tell Ced! See you later, Crimmy!"

"No running in the corridors!" I yelled after her, laughing. I was still laughing when a set of arms grabbed me around the waist and spun me around a few times. Then, he turned me around, and I dizzily slumped into Georgie's arms, dazed by his shimmering eyes.

"Oi, Rehfate! Stop being so bossy all the bloody time. Nobody listens to ya', anyways," he reminded before tugging me away to the Room of Requirement for a good snog. After all, we had to make up for the five years when I was being stupid, as he liked to remind me.

The new term started, and with it, the second task loomed closer and closer, dark and foreboding to Holly and Ced. I tried to help the best I could, going over with him what creatures he might encounter in the Black Lake and what spells would be most effective. Again and again, he practiced the spell until we were positive he could perform it perfectly. Holly was nearly as nervous as Cedric; a couple times, she burst into tears spontaneously, and the only thing I could make out of her blubbering was, "_But what if he drowns!_"

I began to work out the rest of the clues the night before the task commenced. Fred and George found the three of us in the Great Hall, huddled over a couple books filled with water creatures. Holly kept tearing up whenever I mentioned the Grindylows he was sure to come across, so Ced and I had to change the subject a couple times. I noticed their expressions the moment they walked over and frowned; whatever news they brought, it wasn't good.

"Hey, Holly, McGonagall wants to see you in her office," said Freddie, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"What? Why? What did I do? Oh, no, this is about not being able to…you know…transfigure things. She's kicking me out of the class. I'll have to redo the year! I can't handle another year with Snape!" she wailed, ready to break out in tears.

"Calm down, sweetheart. Why does she need to see Holly?" Cedric reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, his smile reassuring and confident. I watched her visibly relax, thankful somebody had the ability to calm her down so easily.

"Dunno, but she looked a bit grim. I'm sure it's nothing." Georgie leaned down to press a kiss to my lips and ruffled my hair when he straightened. "I don't know how we ended up being her messenger boys."

"Crummiest job in the world, mind you."

"We've been all over the bloody place looking for Ron and Hermione."

"Yeah, 'cept here and the library."

"We had bets whether you three'd been in the library."

"Yeah, George lost. Thanks for that, Crim. I needed ten sickles." Freddie grinned proudly.

"Next time, act in character, Crim," Georgie chided, winking. "You owe me for this one."

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, snickering, and closed the book in front of Holly. Twitching a bit, she stood up, clasping her hands together as tightly as she could. She tied to climb out of her seat, and she tripped, nearly losing her balance.

"Easy there, Ice!" Freddie caught her, a chuckle on his lips. "We're not taking you to die, you know. You'll be back before Ced can miss you."

"Huh?!" Holly pouted and looked at Cedric, who offered her a gentle smile.

"Missing you already," he promised and waved to her as Fred pulled her out of the Great Hall. With a kiss to my temple, Georgie followed them, swearing he would have her back by midnight.

She didn't return, though. I could tell Ced was getting nervous the closer the clock came to twelve. We waited by the Hufflepuff common room, Cedric pacing while I skimmed over my Potions book. Around one, the twins joined us, and Fred explained McGonagall had sent them away the moment they delivered her.

"This isn't like her." Cedric looked to me for confirmation, and I shook my head. "She wouldn't be staying away from me right now. You know her; she's harder to get rid of than a Grindylow, not that I mind. I just figure out what she would be doing that would take this long!"

I watched him pace, pitying him as he panicked. One person in the world could make him feel better, his precious girl, and she was nowhere to be found. Certainly she didn't just vanish, and nobody would have stolen her. Even if they did, they'd send her back the moment she opened her mouth. Unless…

"Of course! The thing you'll sorely miss!" I looked over at Cedric, and he furrowed his brow, not really following. "Holly! Holly is what you have to get back from the merpeople! They took the most important person in your life!" I turned to the twins, and they snapped to attention. "You said Ron and Hermione as well, right? You were looking for them? I bet Ron is the one they took for Harry, and Hermione was for Krum!"

Cedric's expression changed then, his eyes darkening in a way I hadn't seen before. Now, the task was even more personal. He knew what he was fighting for, and I could only hope and pray that he got her back in time. If not, those merpeople were going to be in some serious trouble for I knew he would fight another dragon to get to her.

So went on the longest night of our lives. I barely got any sleep, too anxious for rest. I ended up in the library, reading up on merpeople, and managed to doze off into a restless sleep about merpeople trying to sing above water. Somebody (I thought it might have been Ludo Bagman) had cast _Sonorus_ on their voices, so their shrill screeches were even louder than usual. When Georgie woke me up, my ears were still ringing after listening to a horrid rendition of the Hogwarts school song.

"It's time, Crim. Time to make our way to the Black Lake."

I walked with the twins, my head hurting as I listened to the loud cheering and music coming from the stands surrounding the lake. The Champions were already there, I wagered and didn't bother looking around for Ced. He probably got as much sleep as I did, or maybe even less. Beside me, the twins shouted into the groups of people we passed, urging them to make their final bets. Odds were on Krum, from what I could tell, and Harry was the underdog. Freddie kept trying to get me to make a bet on Cedric, but Georgie told him to cut it out after I failed to respond the first few times.

"This is going to be the longest hour in existence," I murmured to myself, watching the Champions get ready by the bank. Bagman said something to Potter before he pointed his wand at his throat. Absently, I felt like smacking him for what he did in my dream; Fred and George muttering _foul git_ when he began to speak didn't help one bit.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then."

Cedric glanced over his shoulder at me and took a deep breath. I offered an encouraging smile, nodding to him, and he raised his chin with confidence. He could do this. He could get her back, and he could do it within an hour's time limit.

"One…two…_three_!"

**Cliffhanger! Sorry for that. I promise to update again soon…ish. If you send some love in the shape of reviews, that might happen more often (otherwise, I think I'm doing a crappy job and will never update). Toodles! 3 TBB**


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